Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Today, I am launching a six-week public consultation on proposals to update our Local Authority Fees and Charges Schemes, made under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
These schemes enable Local Authorities in Wales to recover the costs associated with regulating certain industrial activities that have the potential to impact the environment and public health. Such activities include dry cleaning, vehicle respraying, small-scale waste incineration etc.
The current schemes were made in 2016 and have not been updated since.
The proposed changes will apply an inflationary uplift of 44.29% to existing fees and charges, reflecting cumulative inflation since 2016.
The uplift will help ensure that Local Authorities can continue to deliver their essential services and associated regulatory functions effectively. These include determining permit applications, carrying out routine and preventative inspections and undertaking proactive enforcement. This work helps ensure that businesses comply with environmental standards in line with legislative requirements. This also complies with the polluter pays principle which states that the costs of pollution are met by those who cause it, rather than by the wider community.
In addition to seeking views on the proposed uplift, the consultation also invites feedback on the need for a more comprehensive review of the schemes in the future. This further review would examine the structure and operation of the schemes to assist in identifying if improvements could be implemented to ensure they continue to remain proportionate and fit for purpose.
Responses to this consultation will inform the Welsh Government’s final decision on whether to implement the updated schemes, which are intended to take effect in the 2026–27 financial year.