Air quality

Industrial pollution control

Certain industrial processes with the potential to cause pollution must have a permit, either from the Environment Agency or Medway Council.

These permits help to control emissions to the atmosphere.

Activities that require a permit

The types of facilities needing a permit are:

  • installations or mobile plants
  • waste operations
  • waste mobile plant
  • mining waste operations.

The types of activities listed as needing a permit are:

  • energy - burning fuel, gasification, liquification and refining activities
  • metals - manufacturing and processing metals
  • minerals - manufacturing lime, cement, ceramics or glass
  • chemicals - manufacturing chemicals, pharmaceuticals or explosives, storing chemicals in bulk
  • waste - incinerating waste, operating landfill, recovering waste
  • solvents - using solvents
  • other examples are manufacturing paper, pulp and board, treating timber products, coating, treating textiles and printing, manufacturing new tyres, intensive pig and poultry farming.

Apply for a permit

The permit your business requires depends on the specific activities involved and the resulting emissions.

Permits are available from the Environment Agency or the council depending upon the category your business falls within.

The Environment agency deal with:

  • Part A(1) installations or mobile plants 
  • waste operations or waste mobile plant operated other than at an installation or by Part A or Part B mobile plants
  • mining waste operations.

We deal with Part A(2) and Part B installations or mobile plants.

Part A (2) permits

Sites that are medium in size, which have a large environmental impact to land, water and air fall into this category. You can apply for this permit through us. Industrial processes include:
  • glassmaking
  • galvanising
  • rendering
  • ceramics
  • roadstone coating.

Part B permits

Small sites, which may give rise to emissions to air may fall into this category. You can apply for this permit through us. Industrial processes include:
  • vehicle re-spraying
  • furniture manufacture
  • unloading of petrol at petrol stations
  • dry cleaners.

Apply for an A2 Environmental Permit

Apply for a B Environmental Permit

Annual subsistence charge

We're responsible for writing the permit, setting conditions that must be met and monitoring performance to ensure that the businesses that operate such processes do so within the terms of their permits. Permit conditions set out emission limits and other abatement techniques such as maintenance and appropriate staff training.

Costs for applying for and maintaining a permit are set by Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs), not the council.

Application evaluation process

We'll consider the best way to protect the environment by preventing or where that is not practicable, reducing emissions to the air, water and land.

We may inform the public of the application and must consider any representations.

The application must be from the operator of the regulated facility and we must be satisfied they are operating the facility in accordance with the environmental permit.

Public register of industrial processes

Medway has more than 60 prescribed processes, ranging from petrol stations to large manufacturing plants. You can download a public register of industrial processes.