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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/landspreading-how-to-comply-with-your-permit/landspreading-how-to-comply-with-your-environmental-permit

This guidance is for operators with the following permits:

It explains how to meet the requirements of your permit. You need to read your permit alongside this guide.

All waste spread to land must result in agricultural benefit or ecological improvement. You must operate your activities in a way which identifies and minimises risks of pollution. For a definition of pollution you must read 4.4 Interpretation in your permit. See also the pollution section in the guidance Control and monitor emissions for your environmental permit.

To store or spread any waste to land you must apply for a deployment. You must not start any activities until we have agreed your Landspreading: form LPD1 application for deployment (LPD1).

Your permit describes the objectives and outcomes that must be achieved. Use this guidance to help to meet them.

Where we refer to ‘must’ it means you have to do something to meet the requirements of the permit and deployment. The Environment Agency do not normally tell you how to achieve them. This gives you a degree of flexibility.

Where a permit requires you to take appropriate measures to secure a particular objective, we will expect you to use, as a minimum, the relevant measures described in this guidance. The measures set out here are not exhaustive and may not all be appropriate for a particular circumstance. You can put in place equivalent measures that achieve the same objective. For example, you may have to:

If you have appropriate measures or equivalent measures in place, including, but not limited to those specified in any approved emissions management plan, you will not be found to have breached the permit rule. You must be able to show that you have prevented or where that is not practicable, minimised the risks.

If you think you may not be able to comply with your permit you must contact your local Environment Agency office.

Your permit has an introductory note. This is not part of the standard rules. It summarises the activities you can do and how and where you can do them.

You must make sure your permit is suitable for the operations you intend to do.

If there is a site-based permit on the land where you want to store or spread you cannot do the activities under a landspreading mobile plant permit where the site-based permit’s requirements differ. Where there are 2 permits the requirements of the site-based permit must come first. For advice on this contact your local Environment Agency office.

You must make sure that you do not breach any other regulatory requirements such as the:

SR2010 No 4 and some bespoke permits refer to the ABPR.

The ABPR control the risks to human and animal health from handling, treating, storing and disposing of animal by-products (ABPs). You must meet the requirements of the ABPR for any wastes controlled by these regulations. The Animal and Plant Health Agency have responsibility for the ABPR.

Landspreading: benefits and risks of the waste types you can use lists the wastes controlled by the ABPR.

If your deployment includes any waste streams that are ABPs, the ABPR controls may also apply to your activity. For example, you can only feed livestock with herbage from land to which ABP or ABP derived products have been applied after the waiting period ends. This applies to grazing or feeding with cut herbage.

If you are dealing with ABPs you must follow the:

See also Animal by-product categories, site approval, hygiene and disposal. This explains what ABPs are, how to set up your site safely, the paperwork you need, and how to dispose of them.

This section explains how to follow the general management rules.

The permit holder is called the operator. They must be both:

the legal operator of the facility

considered a competent operator by the Environment Agency

An operator could be a:

You must have sufficient control over your landspreading operations. For example, you must:

You may subcontract parts of your landspreading operation. For example, you can:

If you subcontract, you must always keep control of your operations. You must be able to provide evidence of this if we ask for it.

You must produce and follow a written management system. You must:

You must follow the guidance Develop a management system: environmental permits.

Your management system must describe how you will:

You must document how you will keep control of your activities. For example, you must make sure all management staff, operational staff and subcontractors:

understand the requirements of other related environmental legislation such as waste duty of care and hazardous waste rules – see 2.2 Waste acceptance

know that landspreading is waste recovery not disposal and what this means – you must meet all 5 waste recovery tests as set out in Landspreading: produce a benefit statement

know when recovery becomes disposal – for example, by exceeding the needs of the soil and the crop

understand the causes and effects of pollution and know what controls are needed

minimise the risk of pollution and harm to human and animal health, by using for example, Protecting our water, soil and air – a code of good agricultural practice for farmers, growers and land managers

follow site safety and risk assessments

do routine inspections and maintenance of all mobile plant and equipment to prevent waste oils, hydraulic fluids and fuels spilling or leaking

have and follow an emergency procedure for dealing with spills or leaks

understand when conditions for landspreading are unsuitable or if the land is not available – landspreading wastes in unsuitable conditions may be a disposal activity

have access to the deployment form and the supporting documents for each deployment – including our written agreement

have access to the location map to know where any sensitive receptors are and to comply with buffer zones

You must include a plan for how you will minimise the effects on the environment from short-term disruptions such as:

Consider long-term disruptions, for example from:

During long periods of exceptional circumstances, we may offer advice on the options available for storing and landspreading waste. These may be through:

See for example, Preventing agricultural pollution in exceptional circumstances.

You need suitable contingency arrangements in place. Examples include:

Consider getting more waste storage capacity. For example, at the waste producer’s site or at a suitably permitted site. You must not exceed the storage limits in your deployment form.

You must keep your management system up to date and do regular reviews.

For an incident or non-compliance, you must:

4.3 Notifications explains how you must notify us.

As the operator you are responsible for permit compliance.

You must follow Legal operator and competence requirements.

You must have a technically competent manager.

The technically competent manager can be the operator (permit holder) or the person responsible for demonstrating technical competence.

You can also appoint one (or more) nominated competent person as the main contact for specific deployments. They must report to the technically competent manager. In your management system you must show how they will be managed.

You must name your technically competent manager and nominated competent person in your permit application and on your deployment form.

You will only need a nominated competent person when the technically competent manager cannot supervise all the deployments. Where deployments are some distance from the main office or countrywide, you must be able to show you have control of all day to day operations. You will do this through your management system and any formal contracts you have in place.

They must have access to the permit and understand the requirements of the permit, guidance and supporting deployment documents.

Your nominated competent person may be an employee, contractor or consultant. You must have a formal written contract with them. It must state their role and responsibilities.

They need to show they have sufficient training in:

They can do this through:

Your management system must include evidence of their qualifications.

Your nominated competent person will need to:

You must show you have met rule 1.1.1 by keeping written records of your operations.

Your staff and subcontractors must have access to the relevant permit. They will need to follow your:

They must understand the requirements of the permit and deployment.

You must comply with the requirements of an approved competence scheme. Most landspreading applicants will use the government approved scheme WAMITAB.

You must follow Legal operator and competence requirements.

To meet the waste hierarchy you must consider how you will prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste in relation to your activities.

You must consider whether you can:

Every 4 years you must review and record if any changes are needed. If your review shows you can improve how you prevent and reduce waste, you must adopt the changes.

non-hazardous waste types see the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) guidance Applying the waste hierarchy

hazardous waste types see the Defra guidance Applying the waste hierarchy to hazardous waste

You must be able to meet all 5 waste recovery tests as set out in Landspreading: produce a benefit statement.

Your permit allows the following recovery activities:

The R prefix stands for recovery.

Your landspreading mobile plant permit and deployment form do not allow you to treat the waste. You need a different type of permit for this.

Also, you must not treat any waste if you hold the:

Screening, sorting or crushing waste is classed as treatment.

Use this information to also meet rule 2.3.1 Storage.

You can only store the waste as described in your:

You must not bring any waste onto your site until we have agreed your deployment application. See rule 2.1.4.

The waste you store for landspreading must be suitable for direct use. It must not have or require any treatment. It must be suitably stable so that when stored it does not result in any significant biological, physical or chemical changes.

You must contact us if you need to treat the waste before you store or spread it. You may need to have it treated at a facility with a suitable permit. Following any treatment, you must get a new waste analysis done before you can store or spread it. You must get agreement from us to do this.

When we assess your deployment application we will check the place of storage you propose meets the limits of the R13 activity. It must be within the scope of mobile plant activities - the requirements are set out in in Regulatory guidance note 2 (RGN2) Understanding the meaning of regulated facility – Appendix 4 Understanding the scope of mobile plant.

Waste operations, including some mobile plant deployments, may need planning permission. For example, you may need it for some types for storage such as lagoons. Your local planning authority can advise.

The waste code and description must be listed in the mobile plant permit. You can only receive and store the waste streams listed in your deployment form.

A waste stream is a single waste generated by a single site. You must not receive any waste streams on the site until we have agreed your deployment. See rule 2.1.4 in your permit.

R13 refers to secure storage at the place where the waste is to be used for land treatment. This is called the ‘place of storage.’

You must make sure that the place of storage is within the spreading area covered by your deployment. For example, this can be secure storage on a field headland or concrete pad at the entrance of the field you will treat.

You must tell us in your LPD1 application and show on the location map the:

You must not store waste:

If you cannot meet the waste storage requirements of your permit and deployment form you must apply for a:

You must store the waste securely.

You must have approval to use any storage facility provided by a third party such as the land owner or occupier. You, as the operator, are responsible for the facility providing secure storage.

Your deployment form will specify the actual quantity of waste you can store. This may be less than the maximum quantity allowed under your permit.

Under your permit, for a single deployment, you can only store up to 3,000 tonnes of waste that you will spread in a location at any one time. Of this you must not store more than 1,250 tonnes of non‐stackable waste.

If you hold, or are applying for, more than one deployment that covers the same area, you must store no more than 3,000 tonnes of waste in a single location at any one time. Of this, you can store no more than 1,250 tonnes of non-stackable waste.

The total quantity of waste you will store must be:

All other waste is classed as non-stackable and can include liquids and slurries.

For how you must store stackable and non-stackable waste see rule 2.3.1.

You will need to consider the benefits and risks from different types of storage and explain these in the relevant sections your benefit statement.

You must comply with rule 2.3.1 Operating techniques.

A field heap can be easy to set up and simple to use. The benefits can include that it can be:

You must be able to meet the requirements of Rules for farmers and land managers to prevent water pollution (the farming rules for water) when deciding where to locate the field heap.

See also Storing organic manures in nitrate vulnerable zones.

You can use on-field concrete pads or hard standing for storing solid stackable wastes or siting mobile tankers.

This method allows for ease of handling when loading or unloading. It can provide a more efficient way of handling the waste. For example, less spillage and damage to soil.

Benefits can include a reduced potential for damage to the soil from compaction and rutting by machinery.

This method allows for ease of handling when loading or unloading.

You must be able to meet rule 2.1 Place of storage. The place of storage must be within the spreading area covered by your deployment.

You must comply with rule 2.3.1 Operating techniques.

You can store the waste for 12 months. The start date is the date we give our written agreement to the deployment. The end date is 12 months later.

You must spread all the waste and have no stored waste left at the site once the deployment has expired.

If you have any concerns that you have waste leftover you must contact your local Environment Agency office for advice.

We understand that you cannot always get the timing and conditions right for landspreading. You may temporarily store the waste until you spread it, when for example, adverse weather conditions have not allowed you to spread it. See changes you can make in the Landspreading: form LPD1 guidance.

We are likely to consider your place of storage as a permanent facility if:

For these situations you must apply for a site-based permit such as SR2010 No 17: storage of wastes to be used in land treatment.

You must only mix waste for ease of handling before spreading.

For a single deployment you can mix and store up to 10 waste streams together.

If you are a single operator with multiple deployments for the same area of land, you can mix and store the wastes listed on your deployments together.

Where more than one operator holds deployments at the same site, they must each store their waste separately.

You can only mix hazardous wastes if you comply with the requirements for hazardous waste. These are set out in ‘accepting hazardous waste’ under 2.2 Waste acceptance.

Mixing the wastes must not:

These examples of treatment are not allowed:

If you do mix waste together you must comply with the application rates for each waste stream given in your agreed deployment form.

See meet the application rates from mixed waste streams set out in section 5 of Landspreading: produce a benefit statement.

Your mobile plant permit must be suitable for:

Use the definitions in the Landspreading: form LPD1 guidance for agricultural and non-agricultural land.

When we assess your deployment application we will check that the land treatment activities meet the limits of the R10 activity. They must be within the scope of mobile plant activities – the requirements are set out in Appendix 4 Understanding the scope of mobile plant of RGN2.

You must refer to table 2.1 in your permit for the limits of the R10 activities you can do.

To check the waste types associated with sewage sludge see Waste codes for sewage sludge and sludge containing other materials: RPS 231.

Under SR2010 No 4 you can spread the wastes listed in:

Note the different limits in Table 2.1 Activities for low risk and high risk wastes.

You must not use SR2010 No 4 for land restoration – use SR2010 No 5.

SR2010 No 5 lists the wastes you can use in tables 2.2 and 2.3.

To operate under this permit you must confirm the intended land use of the site. For example, an agricultural or non-agricultural end use. You must not use the wastes in table 2.3 to treat land that you intend to return to agricultural use.

We class crops or grassland which are or could directly or indirectly link to the food chain as an agricultural activity. For example:

If you grow energy crops over a significant amount of time, we may class this as non-agricultural land. For example, short rotation coppice grown as a fuel for 15 years or more.

For SR2010 No 5 your deployment must be to restore, reclaim or improve the land. Once the land has been fully restored, if you want to deploy again for agricultural benefit or ecological improvement you must do this under SR2010 No 4, SR2010 No 6 or a bespoke permit.

You can use SR2010 No 6 for spreading treated sludges from the treatment of urban waste water (waste code 19 08 05) on:

You do not need an environmental permit to landspread waste code 19 08 05 to agricultural land. You can do this under the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations. See also the Sewage sludge in agriculture: code of practice.

The Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations define agricultural land as ‘the growing of all types of commercial food crops, including for stock-rearing purposes’.

When you spread the waste consider doing it:

You must spread the waste at the rates in the agreed deployment form – this is to meet waste recovery test 1 so that the minimum amount of waste is used to give the intended benefit.

Machinery used to spread wastes must be appropriate for the physical state of the waste and the receiving land. For example, to allow for slope, soil type and land use.

You should not spread liquid and odorous wastes:

using high trajectory splash plate equipment – adjust this to a low trajectory spread no more than 4m from ground level

on steep slopes where there is a high risk of run-off

If you use liquid waste on bare soil or stubble without injecting into the soil, you should work it into the soil as soon as reasonably practicable and at the latest within 24 hours.

You can find further information on spreading in Protecting our water, soil and air.

If you plan to use waste containing animal by-products you must follow the general measures set out in 02 02 wastes from the preparation and processing of meat, fish and other foods of animal origin in Landspreading: benefits and risks of the waste types you can use.

You will need to consider the benefits and risks from the spreading technique and explain these in the relevant sections of your benefit statement.

suit the waste stream, the receiving land and the current or future crop

allow the waste to be applied to the receiving land at the application rates you state in the benefit statement

minimise the potential for pollution caused by over-application, poor spreading, run-off, ammonia volatilisation and nuisance from odour, noise and dust

Read these examples to find out the benefits and risks of each technique.

You can use these techniques for applying solid and semi-solid wastes to the surface.

A rear discharge spreader spreads the waste evenly.

The benefits and risks from ammonia loss vary. They can be low or moderate.

The ammonia loss is relative to the percentage of dry matter and percentage of total ammoniacal nitrogen in the material, and the time it takes to incorporate after spreading.

You can use these techniques for applying liquid wastes to the surface.

The benefits and risks from ammonia loss vary. They can be low or moderate. The loss of ammonia is relative to the percentage of dry matter, the percentage of total ammoniacal nitrogen in the liquid waste, droplet size and soil infiltration rate.

Benefits can include that it:

The risk of run-off including through land drains where present, can be from:

You can use these techniques to apply liquid waste to the surface.

For surface application with non-precision broadcast methods, you can use a vacuum or a pumped tanker fitted with a splash plate or nozzle to apply liquid and slurry wastes to the surface.

A pumped tanker achieves improved spreading accuracy when fitted with a positive displacement pump. A vacuum tanker may reduce spreading accuracy.

a major source of ammonia loss, particularly if the liquid waste is not incorporated immediately after application

the use of high trajectory aerosol spray (greater than 4m above ground level) – we consider this a higher risk relative to other spreading methods due to drift, ammonia loss, lower accuracy and ponding

nitrate leaching to groundwater during winter months

run-off, including through land drains where present, and soil structural damage when spreading in unsuitable soil and weather conditions

You can use band spreaders and trailing shoe spreaders to apply liquid and slurry wastes to the surface. We consider this a lower risk than non-precision methods.

Higher specification band spreaders and trailing shoe spreaders can:

nitrate leaching to groundwater during winter months

run-off and soil structural damage where spreading is done in unsuitable soil and weather conditions

tramlines and rows between crops may form pathways for run-off (by acting as shallow ditches) - made worse if planted down a slope

simple band spreaders provide reduced accuracy across spread width, relative to other spreading methods

You can use shallow injection 5 to 10cm below surface level to apply liquid and slurry wastes to the sub-surface.

emission of greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide and methane, where injected waste concentrates in and around the injection slit and where anaerobic conditions develop

nitrate leaching to groundwater during winter months

high risk of run-off and drainage to land drains if injected down slope, and if applied in clay soils at or near to field capacity, even at low application rates

reduced spreading accuracy in wet clay soils, where horizontal movement between injection slots is restricted by smearing and sealing of the clay by the disc

You can use deep injection (greater than 15cm) to apply liquid and slurry wastes to the sub-surface.

We do not expect you to use deep injection on soil that is:

This may cause damage to the soil and unacceptable nutrient loss through leaching and drainage of the waste. This is likely to cancel out any benefit your treatment gives the soil.

You must only use deep injection on soil that is sufficiently dry. This will enable the soil to loosen and fracture as the wing of the deep injector cuts through it. It will also allow high pressure (500 to 700 KPa) injected effluent (more than 100 m3/ha) to move horizontally and achieve an acceptable spread pattern. This method is not a good choice during the winter in all soils. Wait until the end of soil drainage when the soil is dry enough.

emissions of greenhouse gas, such as nitrous oxide and methane, where injected waste concentrates in and around the injection slit and where anaerobic conditions develop

high risk of waste draining beyond crop use and polluting groundwater or groundwater-dependant surface water from light soils at or near field capacity

very high risk of run-off polluting surface waters, land drains, smear channels from heavy soils at, or near field capacity

high risk of run-off where soil is very dry and or cracked

high risk of nitrate leaching to groundwater during winter months due to poor spread pattern and very high application rate

soil structure damage in wet soils

soils smearing and sealing when used in wet soils at or near field capacity

Wet soils at or near field capacity restrict horizontal movement. Soils such as clay have limited capacity to hold effluent against drainage. Risk of drainage is increased as the restricted horizontal movement causes an already very high application of effluent to concentrate around the wing. Clay soils can smear and seal as the wing passes through the soil.

Rules 2.1.2 to 2.1.6 relate to deployment.

Each deployment form covers no more than 10 waste streams. If you want to spread more than 10 waste streams on the same area of land you must submit another deployment application including the supporting documents and another payment.

If the new deployment claims a nutrient benefit, the crop and soil must need that nutrient.

For SR2010 No 4 and No 6, a ‘single continuously managed area of land’ means a single waste stream for a single crop on a single continuous parcel of land (a field) of up to 100 hectares. A single land occupier, such as the landowner or tenant must control this land.

In LPD1 we refer to an ‘area of land’. This means the same as a ‘parcel of land’ (a field).

For guidance on using organic manures on agricultural land see:

Using nitrogen fertilisers in nitrate vulnerable zones

Rules for farmers and land managers to prevent water pollution – the farming rules for water

Protecting our water, soil and air – a code of good agricultural practice for farmers, growers and land managers

You need to assess any potential risks or negative impacts from landspreading a particular waste in your benefit statement.

For your deployment application you must provide a benefit statement. An appropriate technical expert must produce it. It must show that the activity is waste recovery and provides agricultural benefit or ecological improvement. It must also address any potential risks from the activity and how these will be controlled.

For details see Section 1 in Landspreading: produce a benefit statement.

You must not start any activities until we have agreed your deployment in writing. This includes bringing waste to the site. Where a deployment has expired and you intend to apply for a new deployment, you must not accept any waste to the site until the new deployment has been approved.

You must only do the activities in line with the agreed deployment form unless otherwise agreed in writing by us. See changes you can make in Landspreading: form LPD1 guidance.

You must keep up-to-date records to show you have complied with rules 2.1.3, 2.1.4 and 2.1.5.

You must not store or spread waste within:

To find out more on groundwater source protection zone 1 see the guidance Groundwater source protection zones. This provides instructions on how to find them.

To find out if there is a private water supply within 50m of your activity you may have to contact:

To find information on the risk to private water supplies see sensitive groundwater locations.

Field heaps on steeply sloping land must not be within 30m of surface water.

All landspreading activities must comply with the requirements set out in the:

Rules for farmers and land managers to prevent water pollution – the farming rules for water

Nitrate vulnerable zones rules, where applicable

See 3.2.4 Storage of highly readily available nitrogen waste for how to prevent or limit the loss of ammonia.

You must only store or spread high readily available nitrogen wastes within a groundwater safeguard zones for nitrate:

in periods outside of the nitrate vulnerable zone closed periods for spreading organic manure with high readily available nitrogen

at application rates of equal to or less than 50m3/ha, with a minimum 3 week gap between applications

to a maximum application rate of 250kg total nitrogen for any given hectare

The waste you receive must be suitable for direct use. No treatment is allowed under landspreading permits.

If it is not suitable, you need to speak to your waste producer. They may need to control potential emissions from the waste. For example, by treating it at the site where it is produced to reduce odour potential. The treatment must be done under a relevant permit.

You must follow the waste duty of care. See how to do this in the Waste duty of care code of practice.

Your permit lists the waste code and description for each waste type you are allowed to use.

The waste producer must code and describe the waste correctly. They must use the Waste classification technical guidance WM3 to work out the description and then use the List of Waste (LoW) code. The waste producer may also use regulatory position statement Waste codes not otherwise specified: RPS 241.

Some of the waste descriptions in your permit are different and more prescriptive than those that the waste producer will use.

For example, the waste producer will use the following LoW codes and descriptions:

SR2010 No 4 is more prescriptive as to what type of waste is allowed – either:

We have narrowed the description but the LoW code remains the same.

See Landspreading: benefits and risks of the waste types you can use for further details of wastes you can accept and what descriptions you must use for your activity.

You must only accept the waste if it has:

See more information in Waste acceptance procedures for deposit for recovery.

You cannot operate under your standard rules permit if you want to spread a waste type not listed in that permit. You must apply for a bespoke permit and demonstrate the waste can be suitably recovered to land without causing harm.

If you produce, transport or receive hazardous waste you must comply with the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations.

To find out what the controls are see the hazardous waste guidance.

There are 2 hazardous wastes you can use if you hold a standard rules permit. These are:

If you are planning to use these wastes you must see the relevant section of Landspreading: benefits and risks of the waste types you can use.

For all other hazardous wastes you will need to apply for a bespoke permit.

If a waste stream has a LoW code that is a ‘mirror hazardous’ or ‘mirror non-hazardous’ then you may need to provide evidence if the waste:

To do this, you may need to do additional sampling, analysis and assessment of the waste.

To find information on waste classification and how to determine if a waste is hazardous see:

Classify different types of waste

Waste classification technical guidance: WM3

You can only mix hazardous wastes if you comply with the requirements for hazardous waste. You must also see Storage of mixed waste streams before you mix any waste together.

You must operate in line with your management system.

Your storage activities must not exceed the limits set out in table 2.1 in your permit.

You need to demonstrate in the benefit statement that the method of storage is appropriate and will be continually maintained.

For stackable waste you can create a field heap.

Steeply sloping means land sloping 12 degrees (1 in 5 or 20%) or greater.

A field heap must be at the place where the waste will be used. This can be in or on the edge of the field. It may also be in a farm building, yard area or silage clamp, and on a concrete pad or area of hard standing.

Consider if the stackable waste is open to the weather. If it is:

You must store all non-stackable waste in a secure container such as a mobile tanker, lagoon or permanent tank. These can include permanent engineered structures and former slurry stores.

You must store all liquid waste in a secure container which includes lagoons, with secondary containment. See rule 3.2.3.

You must not store non-stackable waste within 0.3m of the top of an open storage container or within 0.75m of the top of a lagoon.

The lagoon or container must have enough:

You must assess the benefits and risks from different types of storage. See 2.1.1 Benefits and risks of storing stackable waste and 2.1.1 Benefits and risks of storing non-stackable waste.

You can find further practical information on storage in Protecting our water, soil and air.

You must not spread wastes on land that:

Consider any changes that may affect the activities. You must always make sure that:

You must continually assess the situation before you spread to land. Use a dynamic risk assessment to:

Your management system must set out procedures for documenting a dynamic risk assessment.

If you are using a generic risk assessment you must use it with the dynamic risk assessment.

See the following examples of changing circumstances.

It is dry when you begin spreading, but the rain forecasted is heavier than expected.

Action: Stop spreading to avoid the risk of run-off into land drains or nearby water courses.

Your waste has been stockpiled for several months. When you start to open the pile you identify a potential for odour.

Action: Stop your activities and assess the likelihood and probable source of the odour. Adjust your operations as appropriate.

You must be able to comply with rules 3.1 to 3.4 to make sure your activities do not cause pollution or nuisance.

Your permit and deployment only allow point source emissions to land providing the source is listed on your agreed deployment form. You must meet the agreed limits. These include the waste types and quantities and the application rates to the receiving land.

Your permit does not allow point source emissions to air or water courses.

Emissions not controlled by emission limits can arise before, during and after landspreading the waste. For example, when your waste streams are delivered or stored. These emissions must not cause pollution. They can:

Emissions not controlled by emission limits does not include odour. See rule 3.3.

The waste producer must control potential emissions from the waste by using appropriate treatment measures on the site where the waste is produced.

You should address all potential emissions from a deployment site in your written management system and any risk assessment. You must consider the sources, pathways and receptors from each site, for example, land drains leading to water courses.

To comply with rule 3.2.1, we expect you to use appropriate measures or equivalent measures that meet the same objectives. Use these to prevent or where this is not practicable to minimise the risks. You will need to have appropriate measures in place to:

If you can show in any approved emissions management plan that you have prevented or minimised the risks we will not consider this as breaching rule 3.2.1.

To avoid pollution and nuisance you must follow Control and monitor emissions for your environmental permit.

If you have identified dust as a potential issue, we expect you to use these appropriate measures or equivalent measures that meet the same objectives.

When storing dusty wastes we expect you to:

When spreading or handling dusty wastes we expect you to:

For further suggested appropriate measures see dust, mud and litter in the guidance Control and monitor emissions for your environmental permit.

Identify if your waste stream is likely to attract scavengers, vermin or flies, for example, food wastes and wastes containing ABPs.

We expect you to use these appropriate measures or equivalent measures that meet the same objectives, to control pests and scavengers. You may use other management system procedures and measures to achieve the same objectives. To prevent nuisance from pests and scavengers you can:

minimise the amount of waste you store and how long you store it by getting a daily delivery of waste and clearing your stockpiles each day

load and unload waste and store it, such as stockpiles and nurse tanks, as far from human and environmental receptors as practicable

use appropriate controls to manage flies in stockpiled wastes

keep your machinery and equipment clean

For more guidance see pest management plan in the guidance Control and monitor emissions for your environmental permit.

To comply with rule 3.2.3 all liquids in containers including lagoons must have secondary containment or other appropriate measures in place. This is to prevent, or where this is not practicable, to minimise any leaks or spills from the primary container.

We consider the appropriate measures for storing liquid wastes in fixed facilities to be those detailed in the Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations (as amended) (SSAFO).

Details of suitable designs and standards are set out in:

Storing silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil

CIRIA 759F: Livestock manure and silage storage infrastructure for agriculture

CIRIA 736F: Containment systems for the prevention of pollution

You must also comply with rule 2.3.1 storage.

To comply with rule 3.2.4, you must prevent or limit the loss of ammonia from high readily available nitrogen waste. You must cover the waste if you are going to store it within 200m of a European Site, Ramsar site or Site of Special Scientific Interest.

You can use the Natural England designated sites system to find out if you are near or within these receptors.

The cover must be of sufficient standard to prevent ammonia loss.

You must make sure your activities do not cause odour pollution outside the deployment area. We will use our professional judgement to confirm if the odour is at a level likely to cause pollution.

Find more information in the guidance Control and monitor emissions for your environmental permit: odour.

Where the wastes you are using are likely to be odorous, you must have a site specific odour management plan that is specific to the deployment.

You can use the guidance H4 odour management to help you decide what to include in your plan. Where it is not possible to prevent odour pollution outside of the deployment area, you must be able to show how you have tried to minimise the odour.

If we get complaints of odour from outside of the deployment area, then we may ask you to provide a revised odour management plan. We will need to approve it and you must comply with the revised requirements.

We expect you to use these appropriate measures or equivalent measures that meet the same objectives, to prevent odour pollution outside the deployment area.

take wind direction into account when spreading

check if any sensitive receptors such as residential properties, workplaces, or public rights of way are downwind of where you will spread

locate your stockpiles where the prevailing wind direction has the least effect on sensitive receptors

consider when you spread the waste – for example, avoid bank holidays and weekends when odour may cause nuisance to more people

cover your stockpiles or use covered or enclosed storage facilities

minimise the amount you store – for example, receive daily deliveries during the days you are spreading to ensure the tank is empty at the end of each working day

incorporate the waste into the soil within 24 hours of spreading

do olfactory monitoring for odour throughout the working day

Where you know a particular waste stream has odour issues, consider pre-treatment before field delivery. Note that you cannot do this treatment under your mobile plant permit.

When you spread odorous wastes you can also:

For standing crops, apply to the bottom of the rows with a dribble bar or other suitable landspreading machinery.

Aerosols of fine droplets can cause odour nuisance, especially when you are spreading liquid wastes. Where you cannot control this odour, describe the actions you will take to prevent nuisance to sensitive receptors in your odour management plan.

We expect you to use these appropriate measures or equivalent measures that meet the same objectives, to control odour from aerosol spray drift.

To reduce the potential for odour from aerosol spray drift we expect you to:

minimise aerosols from your spreading machinery, such as reducing discharge pressures when operating splash plate spreading machines

avoid spreading wastes close to residential properties – consider for example, wind direction, time of day, using low emission spreading equipment

avoid spreading wastes near other sensitive habitats to reduce nutrient deposits or pollution

See more guidance on spreading odorous wastes in:

Protecting our water, soil and air - a code of good agricultural practice for farmers, growers and land managers

Code of Good Agricultural Practice for reducing ammonia emissions

Your activities must not cause noise or vibration pollution outside the deployment area. Noise or vibration should not be above that of normal agricultural activities. You will need to consider the risk of noise and vibration in your deployment application and further consider it in your management system.

If we get a complaint of noise or vibration from outside of the deployment area, we may investigate this further. We will use our professional judgement to confirm if the noise or vibration are at levels likely to cause pollution outside the deployment area. We may ask you to submit a noise and vibration management plan. We will need to approve it and you must comply with the revised requirements.

Rules 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 requires the following.

You must keep records that demonstrate how you have complied with your:

If you change any of these documents you must mark up what they are. You must use version control and not overwrite records. You must follow the guidance under changes you can make in the Landspreading: form LPD1 guidance.

We must be able to read your records. You must make them available to us on request.

You must keep these records for 6 years.

Operators that hold mobile plant permits must complete quarterly waste returns. If you do not spread waste in a quarter, you must still send us a nil return.

We recommend submitting your details online using the generic operator returns (GOR) returns online spreadsheet.

If you cannot submit your returns online, you can email it using the waste returns email spreadsheet.

Recording mobile plant permit information is different to that for fixed location waste activities.

Each quarter we need to know the total quantity of each waste type received and where it was spread.

In the ‘waste_received worksheet’:

Tell us the quantity of the waste you rejected and why – for example, it was not of good enough quality to spread to land.

In the ‘waste_removed worksheet’:

For further details see how to complete waste or materials facility returns and deadlines for submission.

Your permit states that you must notify us ’without delay’ if you are likely to breach rules 4.3.1 (a), (b) and (c).

‘Without delay’ means you must notify us as soon as is practicable, for example, contact by telephone:

To meet rule 4.3.2, within 24 hours, you must confirm in writing any:

To meet rule 4.3.4, each time you want to begin landspreading you must tell us at least 48 hours (but no more than 7 days) before the date you start. If your spreading activities have to stop for more than 7 days, you must tell us again when you will restart spreading using the same timescales.

Your mobile plant permit lists the expressions used in your permit and gives their meanings.

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

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