Does your road transport business require a PPC permit?

Your business may require a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit from your environmental regulator or local council. For example, you will need a permit if your business has a production capacity above a certain level or if you use certain hazardous substances.

If your business is an installation or mobile plant you will need a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit from your environmental regulator.

An installation is a stationary technical unit, such as a self-contained building, permanent structure or fixed plant, used for listed activities.

A mobile plant is plant that can be moved and is used for listed activities.

Listed activities

These are industrial, waste or intensive farming activities that have an impact on the environment and are listed in the PPC regulations. They are split into categories:

  • Part A, B and C in Northern Ireland
  • Part A and B in Scotland

Listed activities that might be carried out by road transport businesses include:

Permit Categories

Listed activity

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Loading, unloading, handling or storing crude oil, stabilised crude petroleum, crude shale oil or emulsified hydrocarbons intended for use as a fuel

Part A

Part A

Loading, unloading, handling or storing more than 500,000 tonnes in total in any period of 12 months of iron ore or burnt pyrites

Part A

Part A

Using more than 150kg per hour or 200 tonnes per year of organic solvents while surface treating (eg painting, cleaning or degreasing) substances, objects or products

Part A

Part A

Loading or unloading petrol at a terminal into or from road or rail tankers

Part B (more than 10,000 tonnes in any 12 month period)

Part C (less than 10,000 tonnes in any 12 month period)

Part B

Unloading petrol into stationary storage tanks at a service station, if the total quantity unloaded is likely to be 500m3 or more in any 12-month period

Part C

Part B

Loading or unloading 10,000 tonnes or more of petroleum coke, coal, coke or any other coal product, except unloading at the site of final customer

Part C

Part B

Loading, unloading or storing cement, cement clinker or pulverised fuel ash in bulk prior to further transportation in bulk

Part C

Part B

Repainting or respraying road vehicles or parts of road vehicles using one tonne (Northern Ireland) or two tonnes (Scotland) or more of organic solvent in any 12-month period

Part C

Part B

(unless already covered by Part A)

What you must do

If your installation or mobile plant carries out listed activities you will need a permit from your environmental regulator.

Permits and regulators for listed activities

Activity category

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Part A

PPC permit regulated by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)

PPC permit regulated by SEPA

Part B

PPC permit regulated the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)

PPC permit regulated by SEPA

Part C

PPC permit regulated by local council

N/A

Contact your environmental regulator

You should contact your environmental regulator or local council for further information about listed activities. NetRegs does not provide detailed guidance on Part A activities.

If you are unsure whether you are affected by PPC, contact your environmental regulator or local council.

Contact your environmental regulator

Contact your local council

How to apply for a permit

NIEA: Apply online

SEPA: Application forms

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