The Environment Agency has launched a consultation seeking the views of the waste, water and farming sectors on proposals to introduce new and update existing waste charges.
The 10-week consultation proposes to introduce new regulatory charges for specific waste activities, as well as update existing charging regimes from April 2025.
The Environment Agency is consulting on four proposals:
- A waste levy which the EA said will enable it to increase waste enforcement activity by around 30%.
- New and updated hourly rates, which the EA said will enable them to continue to recover the costs of regulatory activities.
- A waste fee for intervention to recover the cost of regulation where operators lack authorisation.
- Registration and compliance charges for waste exemptions – for farmers, the EA is proposing a reduced compliance charge for a set of 15 common on-farm waste exemptions.
The Environment Agency said it is necessary to review the service charges to ensure it can deliver a robust and efficient regulatory service.
The regulator said the proposals will fund more regulatory work to target waste crime and the revenue generated through charges will support enforcement, customer support, digital systems, and clearer guidance.
The consultation runs from 11 November 2024 until midnight on 20 January 2025.
Steve Molyneux, Deputy Director of Waste and Resources Regulation at the Environment Agency, said: “It’s our job to be fair and transparent with the businesses we regulate for the work we do.
“Waste exemption abuse across industry sectors, increasing costs of regulation and illegal waste activity, is making it harder to meet the cost of these challenges.
“Our proposals will see more investment in our services, which is crucial in protecting legitimate businesses, tackling waste crime and reducing environmental damage.”
