Environment Agency – CL:AIRE Joint Statement: Collaboration on the Development of the DoW CoP
The Environment Agency and CL:AIRE have released a joint statement to update industry on the ongoing development of the Definition of Waste: Development Industry Code of Practice (DoW CoP). To read the statement please click here:
DoW CoP Joint Statement: Environment Agency - CL:AIRE (Nov 2025)
CL:AIRE is seeking industry specialists help
Phase 2 of updating the Department of Environment Industry Profiles project has begun and CL:AIRE is seeking help to identify specialists or industry groups that may have specific expertise in the 15 profiles that CL:AIRE is working on. Further information is available at the following link . Please feel free to forward this link to colleagues that may be able to help.
The deadline for responses is 8 December 2025.
GPVS application window opens 1 January 2026 and closes 28 February 2026
The next Gas Protection Verification Accreditation Scheme (GPVS) application window opens 1 January 2026 and closes 28 February 2026. The application window is open to Technician Grade and Specialist Grade applicants. Please visit Becoming an Accredited Person for further information.
All candidates are required to complete an application form and submit additional supporting information. It is essential that prospective candidates visit the application page of the GPVS website to understand what supporting information is required to be submitted. If the correct supporting information is not provided the applicant will not progress to the interview stage.
If you have any queries about the application process, please email the Help Desk.
Environment Agency consults on updated guidance for Environmental Permitting: H5 site condition report
The Environment Agency is seeking views on the proposed updated guidance for Environmental Permitting: H5 site condition reporting and includes:
- Environmental permitting: produce an application site condition report
- Environmental permitting: maintain your site condition report
- Environmental permitting: produce a surrender site condition report
- Environmental permitting: stage 1 to 3 assessment completed examples
- Environmental permitting: site condition report template
- Withdrawal of the 2013 H5 Site Condition Report and Template PDFs
- Withdrawal of the 2013 RGN9 – Surrender guidance
- the requirement for standard rules waste operations permits to produce a site condition report at application
The consultation is available here and is only open until 4 January 2026.
Once the Environment Agency publishes the revised guidance, the 2013 site condition report guidance and Regulatory Guidance Note 9 (RGN9) – Surrender will be withdrawn. It is the Environment Agency's intention to withdraw the 2013 H5 Site Condition Report Template and replace it with a revised template subject to responses received as part of this consultation.
MHCLG consults on reforming the statutory consultee system
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is seeking views on reforming the role of statutory consultees in the planning system in England. Further information is available here. The consultation closes on 13 January 2026.
HSE consults on the Control of Asbestos Regulations and guidance
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is seeking stakeholders’ views on three proposals:
- To ensure the independence and impartiality of roles in the four-stage clearance process to further minimise the risk of exposure from asbestos to workers and building users after the removal of asbestos
- To drive up the standard of asbestos surveys to ensure duty holders have the information they need to safely manage asbestos risks
- To clarify the type of work that constitutes work with asbestos known as notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW)
Further information is available here. To view the consultation and to submit your comments go to: Legislative and guidance proposals for the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
The consultation is open for comments until 9 January 2026.
SEPA announces new referencing for groundwater guidance
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has recently revised its guidance documents reference numbers. This is due to the regulatory transition to Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations (EASR) that occurred at the start of this month.
In particular, please note that WAT-PS-10-02 is now called WAT-G-071. The document has been updated to refer to EASR but there is no change in the technical aspects. The new guidance is currently available in the EASR part of the website under the various activities to which it might apply.
WAT-G-071 Assigning groundwater assessment criteria for pollutant inputs
WAT-G-072 EASR Guidance: Environmental standards for discharges to surface waters
WAT-G-073 SEPA Guidance: List of groundwater hazardous substances and groundwater standards
Please note that the reference to ‘beta’ in the links above is because SEPA is currently in the process of migrating to a new website. It does not mean the guidance itself is still in beta. It is live guidance.
SEPA is in the process of updating all its guidance. In the interim, some older SEPA documents may still mention WAT-PS-10-02 but please now use WAT-G-071 instead.
Environment Agency consults on its proposed approach to reserving water abstraction rights
The Environment agency is consulting on its proposed approach to reserving water abstraction rights. Further information is available here. The consultation closes 16 February 2026.
ISLANDR project is seeking views on sustainable and risk based land management
The European ISLANDR project has been exploring how recent developments in understanding could be integrated into sustainable and risk based land management, in particular expanding awareness of the importance of soil health and achieving a circular economy, the inclusion of wider considerations of social, economic and environmental value in investment cases for site management, making better use of low input remediation techniques such as nature based solutions, improving linkage with spatial planning decision-making, and the suitability of this framework for managing contaminants of emerging concern. ISLANDR is holding an on-line consultation about its ideas, and would be very grateful for your opinions. Please visit https://islandr-project.eu/consultation and give us your thoughts before 19 December 2025!
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