Medium Combustion Plants which do not meet the requirements of a Standard Rules Permit
We have previously blogged about Standard Rules permits for sites with new Medium Combustion Plants (MCP) which were put into operation on or after 20th December 2018. However, this blog focuses on those sites with new MCPs which cannot meet the requirements of a Standard Rules permit.
Sites with new MCPs may not be able to meet the requirements of a Standard Rules permit for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to;
- the proposed site’s proximity to protected sites (e.g. SAC, SPA, Ramsar or SSSI)
- because the proposed site contains both Medium Combustion Plants and Specified Generators
Simple or Complex bespoke permit
Those sites which cannot meet the requirements of a Standard Rules Permit must apply for a bespoke permit. There are two types of bespoke permits for new Medium Combustion Plants: simple and complex. Simple bespoke permits are those that do not require dispersion modelling to be carried out and complex permits are those that do.
The need for dispersion modelling is determined by two factors. Firstly, if there are no SSSI’s or NCZ’s within 2km or SAC’s SPA’s or Ramsar sites within 5km of the site then modelling is not required. If the site is within these screening distances of sensitive receptors then a H1 Environmental Risk Assessment must be carried out. The outcome of this will then determine whether dispersion modelling is required or not.
The price difference between simple and complex bespoke MCP permit applications is significant, with a simple bespoke permit application costing £2,028 and a complex bespoke permit application costing £6,550. This is before any charges for plans and assessments are considered.
Guidance
WRM are experienced in environmental permitting and carrying out dispersion modelling. As such, we can guide you through the entire environmental permit application process. If you would like to discuss how we can help you gain the relevant consent, please contact Martin Ropka (martin.ropka@wrm-ltd.co.uk).
Previous blogs
