Preparing a permitting or compliance enquiry

A new activity

Describe what the site will actually do: the process, the materials in and out, the quantities involved and where on the site it happens. Plain operational language beats regulatory vocabulary here.

• The process and materials, described plainly
• Indicative quantities and where they sit on site
• When the activity is intended to start

Variations

For a change to an existing permit, set out what is changing against what is currently permitted: the activity, the boundary, the quantities or the techniques. The current permit and its conditions are the reference documents, so have the reference number and the latest version to hand.

• The current permit reference and version
• What is changing, stated against what is permitted
• Why the change is being made

Records and supporting documents

Applications and reviews both lean on the same set: the permit or registration, management documents, site records and the supporting plans and assessments behind them. Preserve the originals and note corrections separately. Old documents still help, because they show what has changed and what needs bringing up to date.

• The permit or registration as issued
• Management system and procedure documents
• Returns and records the conditions require
• Site and drainage plans and previous assessments, with dates
• A note of what is known to be missing

Correspondence

Recent regulator correspondence often defines the real starting point: what has been asked, what has been promised and what deadlines already exist. Bring it complete rather than summarised, including anything uncomfortable, because the scope has to deal with the position as it stands.

• Letters, emails and notices
• Commitments already made to the regulator
• Dates already sitting in the correspondence

Turning gaps into a scope

Turn what you find into a short list: what needs doing, in what order, and what output you expect. Nothing is submitted until the scope is agreed in writing.