Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Environment agency definition

What does Environment agency mean? In practice, “environment agency” refers to the public environmental regulator for a jurisdiction: the body that issues environmental permits, regulates pollution and waste, manages water resources, undertakes enforcement (including prosecutions and civil sanctions), and acts as a statutory consultee on planning and major infrastructure consents. In England, this is the Environment Agency, an executive non‑departmental public body sponsored by Defra, created by the Environment Act 1995. Its principal aim is to protect or enhance the environment, taken as a whole, and to contribute to sustainable development (s 4). It also leads on flood and coastal erosion risk management....

Planning applications in England: Environment Agency’s role, statutory consultee status, pre-application services, and guidance on flood risk, drainage, contamination, permits, waste, biodiversity and sustainable construction

Published by a LexisNexis Planning expert

Practice notes

Introduction

Planning applications must be decided in line with the development plan, unless other material factors point otherwise. From a date still to be set, in England, applications will be determined by reference to the development plan together with any national development management policies, taken as a whole, unless material considerations strongly point to a different outcome. See Practice Notes: Determining planning applications—priority of the development plan and Determining planning applications—material considerations.

Environmental matters can amount to material considerations when deciding applications, and they also inform the making of development plans. In England, the environment agency (EA) may participate as a statutory consultee on specified forms of development, offering information and guidance where local planning authority (LPA) decisions support the EA’s functions. The EA advises on proposed development in England and on matters within its remit, including:

flooding
waste
land contamination
pollution
water quality
foul drainage
biodiversity
navigation
environmental impact assessment

The EA section of the government’s website also provides extensive guidance to assist developers in ensuring that environmental considerations are dealt...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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