Pollution Control

Our role is to identify, monitor, reduce and prevent pollution of the environment as well as to protect the health of residents who live and work in the Carlisle district. We help to improve air quality, inspect and authorise industrial processes, assess potentially contaminated sites and provide advice and information on environmental protection issues.

We also investigate complaints of nuisance and take enforcement action when necessary.

Air Quality

Enforce legislation to prevent dark smoke emissions and control emissions of other pollutants to the air from regulated industrial processes (Inspection & Regulation)

Contaminated Land

Identify Contaminated Land and ensure cleanup by appropriate bodies. Maintenance of the Public Registers for Contaminated Land.

Drainage/Sewers

We will take action to prevent drains/septic tanks from becoming a nuisance to neighbours or detrimental to the environment.

Water

In partnership with United Utilities, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agencies we ensure all aspects of water quality and pollution are monitored and dealt with efficiently.

Asbestos/Hazardous Substances

People are often concerned about the risk they may be exposed to from asbestos or hazardous substances.

Planning Control determine applications for hazardous substances consent and institute any necessary enforcement action under the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations. The Hazardous Substances consent register is also held by planning.

Clean air act approval

The introduction of The Clean Air Act 1993, required large boiler and furnace installations, chimney heights and associated arrestment plant to be approved by local authorities.

This enables the Council to ensure that pollution levels near the ground will not be at a concentration that may be detrimental to health, or cause a nuisance, and to prevent any flue gases from entering neighbouring buildings.

Which furnaces need approval

Commercial furnaces require approval from the local authority if they:

• Burn pulverised fuel
• Burn solid matter at a rate of 45.5kg or more an hour
• Burn liquid or gaseous matter at a rate equivalent to 366.4 KW.

Approval of Chimney Height

The local authority must also consider and approve the height of the chimney from the furnace. Approval will only be given once we are satisfied that the proposed height of the chimney will be sufficient to ensure, as far as practicable, the smoke, grit, dust and gases emitted from the chimney will not be prejudicial to health or cause a nuisance.

Approval may be granted unconditionally or subject to conditions (i.e. the rate of quality of emissions). Should the Local Authority decide not to approve the proposed height then written notification will be given stating the reasons why and specifying the minimum height thought to be acceptable.

An application for chimney height approval must contain adequate information to enable the necessary calculations to be carried out.

The Local Authority are required to provide a response within 28 days of receipt of the application. Failure on the Councils part to deal with the application within the agreed time period results in approval being given without qualification. There is no charge for this service.

Exemptions:

It is not necessary to apply for a chimney height approval for the following:

• A temporary replacement boiler or plant which is being maintained or repaired.
• A temporary source of heat or power for building, construction works or research
• Auxiliary plant used to bring other plant to an operating temperature
• A mobile or transportable source of heat or power for agricultural operations. 

Inspection and regulation

Regulation of Pollution from Industrial Sites (LAPC/LAPPC)

The Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Pollution Prevention & Control Act 1999 and The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, regulates through a process of permitting industrial processes where there is the potential for significant emissions to atmosphere (water and land, energy efficiency and waste for Part A processes). UK and EU law defines the processes that are regulated under the legislation.

• Part A - very large industrial processes that affect other mediums in addition to air. A1 processes are regulated by the Environment Agency and A2 and B by the local authority. 
• Part B  - small industries whose emissions are only likely to effect Air Quality. These processes are only permitted to operate in accordance with a permit that sets out conditions.

We are responsible for:

• permitting over 40 processes within the city;
• controlling emissions from prescribed installations by monitoring and enforcement of permit conditions; and
• reviewing all the permits held by operators every six years.

This includes activities such as

• vehicle re-spraying
• cement batching
• unloading of petrol at petrol stations by delivery tankers.

How to apply

Application forms are available to download.

Any person operating a process that requires a permit must submit an application, with a fee, to us. We can then issue a permit in accordance with Government guidance.

Installations holding permits are also required to apply for permission to make any substantial change to their process. A "substantial change" is defined in the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000. 

If you require further details on the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016 and the Pollution, Prevention & Control Act and Regulations, please visit the DEFRA website.

The Environment Agency are also responsible for certain Permitted Installations that are designated A1's. View the Environment Agency's processes.