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All our profits are donated to our charity, Newground Together, and we like to share how this money is changing the environment and communities around us.
Thanks to a grant from our charity, Whitehall Park Supporters Group in Darwen have been able to support more local people during lockdown.
Originally a section of the park which had been unused and overgrown was cultivated in order to grow and provide a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for the members of the gardening club and the local community. Now, with the grant, the garden has more than doubled in size!
In spite of the lockdown, the group still maintained the garden whilst following social distancing. They continued to share the produce with members of the club which include local families who have struggled to make ends meet in the local community.
Chair of the Whitehall Park Supporters Group Marjan Wouda said “it is great that now our garden has expanded we can share more of what we grow.”
It’s truly heart-warming to see the profits we make from you, our subscribers, helping to bring people together, and adding real value to a community.
Pre-lockdown the group collaborated with Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise to support asylum seekers and people with mental health issues through the relaxing power of gardening. The group is proud to be open to all and actively encourages members to join from all backgrounds. By reaching out to asylum seekers, the group gives them an opportunity to meet more of the local community and find group support. This inclusive mindset has provided an opportunity to share cultural differences and learn more about the different people living in their local community.
Marjan goes on to say “working alongside each other, friendships are developed, cultures are exchanged and people feel connected with one another. The sense of wellbeing derived from the club is overwhelming.”
The Whitehall Park Supporters Group have more big hopes for the future and are looking to continue to attract new members. They are looking forward to further improve the groups skills in growing food organically and having a polytunnel to expand the gardening year.
Again a BIG thank you from The Compliance People; you are helping us to make a real difference to the lives of people in our communities.
Jurisdiction: UK
Commencement: 22 July 2020
Amends:
This Act has been brought into force to support economic recovery and growth following the disruption caused by COVID-19. It makes temporary and permanent changes to the licencing and planning regimes in the UK.
This entry gives a high-level overview of the changes made with a focus on environmental and health & safety matters. It does not place any direct compliance duties on organisations.
Part 1 of the Act deals with ‘pavement licences’ which can be applied for by businesses selling food and drink from the local authority for the placement of furniture, such as tables and chairs, on the pavement outside their premises. Alcohol licensing changes are made to allow relevant businesses to serve alcohol for consumption off the premises.
Test certificates and driving licences
Part 2 of the Act amends the Road Traffic Act 1988 in relation to certificates of temporary exemption to goods vehicles and public service vehicles. A test certificate issued within the past year is usually required to drive a heavy vehicle. Certificates of temporary exemption have been issued to all heavy vehicles that were due to be tested from late March onwards following disruption to the testing regime caused by COVID-19.
In order to avoid excessive test demand in the coming months, powers are expanded for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to issue certificates of temporary exemption to safer vehicles to ensure capacity within the testing regime is maintained for higher risk vehicles.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, drivers that are 45 years or older applying for a first licence or renewing a lorry or bus licence have to provide a medical report. Due to pressures on the NHS, doctors have been unable to meet the demand for completing these reports. A scheme to issue 1-year licences without a medical report was implemented on 5th May 2020 and this Act makes the legal changes required to the 1988 Act to make the scheme enforceable.
Part 3 of this Act amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (‘the 1990 Act’) to reduce planning restrictions on construction site working hours to temporarily allow extended working hours. This is in order to allow developments which have been delayed due to COVID-19 to proceed at an increased pace if required.
A new section is added into the 1990 Act to allow a modification to the restrictions of working hours to be applied for in writing electronically. This can be either to extend the permitted hours or to allow construction activity to take place on a day that it is not currently permitted. This extension can only be until 1st April 2021. If an authority does not give its decision within 14 days (beginning with the day after that on which the application is sent to the authority) then the condition is deemed to be modified as set out in the application and can be implemented.
In addition, the expiration of certain un–implemented planning permissions are automatically extended to enable planned developments to be commenced over the next year. The new section 93A added into the 1990 Act modifies any condition where the time limit for the start of development is due to expire before 31st December 2020. The new time limit is extended to 1st May 2021. This again is due to delays experienced within the construction sector because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Un–implemented planning permissions with time limits for implementation which passed between 23rd March 2020 and 19th August 2020 are also restored and the time limit extended to 1st May 2021, subject to ‘additional environmental approval’ being granted. An application for additional environmental approval must be made in writing and submitted electronically to the local planning authority by a person with an interest in the relevant land.
In the application for additional environmental approval, details of the following have to be provided:
Further information will be required if the original planning permission was subject to an EIA and/or a Habitats Regulation Assessment including the original assessment(s) or screening(s) and a summary of the key findings. Additional environmental approval can be applied for up until 31st December 2020.
Part 3 of this Act also amends the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The expiration of certain un–implemented listed building consents are automatically extended to enable planned works to start over the next year. The new section 18A added into the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 modifies any condition where the time limit for the start of development is due to expire before 31st December 2020. The new time limit is extended to 1st May 2021.
The powers for local planning authorities in England are updated to determine which planning procedure (written representations, a hearing or a local inquiry) should be adopted in certain proceedings to enable flexibility to deal with cases quickly and efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The requirements for the Mayor of London to make the current Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) available for physical inspection and to provide hard copies on request are temporarily removed through an amendment to the Greater London Authority Act 1999.
Part 3 of this Act amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (‘the 19901 Act’) to reduce planning restrictions on construction site working hours to temporarily allow extended working hours. This is in order to allow developments which have been delayed due to COVID-19 to proceed at an increased pace if required.
A new section is added into the 1990 Act to allow a modification to the restrictions of working hours to be applied for in writing electronically. This can be either to extend the permitted hours or to allow construction activity to take place on a day that it is not currently permitted. This extension can only be until 1st April 2021. If an authority does not give its decision within 14 days (beginning with the day after that on which the application is sent to the authority) then the condition is deemed to be modified as set out in the application and can be implemented.
In addition, the expiration of certain un–implemented planning permissions are automatically extended to enable planned developments to be commenced over the next year. The new section 93A added into the 1990 Act modifies any condition where the time limit for the start of development is due to expire before 31st December 2020. The new time limit is extended to 1st May 2021. This again is due to delays experienced within the construction sector because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Un–implemented planning permissions with time limits for implementation which passed between 23rd March 2020 and 19th August 2020 are also restored and the time limit extended to 1st May 2021, subject to ‘additional environmental approval’ being granted. An application for additional environmental approval must be made in writing and submitted electronically to the local planning authority by a person with an interest in the relevant land.
In the application for additional environmental approval, details of the following have to be provided:
Further information will be required if the original planning permission was subject to an EIA and / or a HRA, including the original assessment(s) or screening(s) and a summary of the key findings. Additional environmental approval can be applied for up until 31st December 2020.
Another change made is the powers for local planning authorities in England are updated to determine which planning procedure (written representations, a hearing or a local inquiry) should be adopted in certain proceedings to enable flexibility to deal with cases quickly and efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part 3 of this Act amends the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the 1990 Act’). The expiration of certain unimplemented listed building consents are automatically extended to enable planned works to start over the next year. The new section 18A added into the 1990 Act modifies any condition where the time limit for the start of development is due to expire before 31st December 2020. The new time limit is extended to 1st May 2021. This is due to delays experienced within the construction sector because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The powers for local planning authorities in England are updated to determine which planning procedure (written representations, a hearing or a local inquiry) should be adopted in certain proceedings to enable flexibility to deal with cases quickly and efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part 3 of this Act amends the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 to change the powers for local planning authorities in England to determine which planning procedure (written representations, a hearing or a local inquiry) should be adopted in certain proceedings to enable flexibility to deal with cases quickly and efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no changes to any duties for organisations.
The requirements for the Mayor of London to make the current Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) available for physical inspection and to provide hard copies on request are temporarily removed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. There are no changes to any duties for organisations.
Part 2 of this Act amends the Road Traffic Act 1988 in relation to certificates of temporary exemption to goods vehicles and public service vehicles. A test certificate issued within the past year is usually required to drive a heavy vehicle. Certificates of temporary exemption have been issued to all heavy vehicles that were due to be tested from late March onwards following disruption to the testing regime caused by COVID-19.
In order to avoid excessive test demand in the coming months, powers are expanded for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to issue certificates of temporary exemption to safer vehicles to ensure capacity within the testing regime is maintained for higher risk vehicles.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, drivers that are 45 years or older applying for a first licence or renewing a lorry or bus licence have to provide a medical report. Due to pressures on the NHS, doctors have been unable to meet the demand for completing these reports. A scheme to issue 1-year licences without a medical report was implemented on 5th May 2020 and this Act makes the legal changes required to the 1988 Act to make the scheme enforceable.
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Jurisdiction: EU
Commencement: 26 June 2023
These Regulations provide requirements to the operators of facilities that treat urban waste water. The requirements include water quality monitoring and risk management for the safe use of reclaimed water*. This is to ensure that reclaimed water is safe for use in agricultural irrigation, providing high levels of protection for environmental, human and animal health, whilst also promoting a circular economy, adapting to climate change, and contributing to the objectives of Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for the Community action in the field of water policy (“Water Framework Directive”). The contributions to the objectives of the Water Framework Directive include addressing water scarcity and pressure on water resources in a coordinated way throughout the EU. These Regulations apply whenever treated urban waste water is reused.
*Reclaimed water is urban waste water that has been treated in compliance with Directive 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste-water treatment (“Urban Waste water Treatment Directive”) and further treated in a reclamation facility** as outlined in section 2 of Annex 1 of these Regulations.
**A reclamation facility is a facility that treats urban waste water so that it is fit for use in:
While these Regulations are primarily aimed at increasing the use of reclaimed water in agricultural irrigation, they do not prevent Member States from using reclaimed water for other purposes. This is to promote and encourage water reuse as much as possible, providing it follows the same high levels of protection.
Before a reclamation facility operator* allows water intended for agricultural irrigation to be passed on, they must ensure that it complies with the following:
*A reclamation facility operator is a person, representing a private entity or public authority, that operates or controls a reclamation facility.
The reclamation facility operator must monitor water quality in accordance with the minimum requirements for monitoring (laid out in Section 2 (b) of Annex I), as well as any other conditions set out in the relevant reclaimed water permit.
After the water has been passed on from the reclamation facility, the quality of the water is no longer the responsibility of the reclamation facility operator.
The competent authority (an authority or body designated by a Member State to carry out their obligations under these Regulations) will establish a water reuse risk management plan for the purposes of producing, supplying and using reclaimed water.
This plan must be prepared by the reclamation facility operator, any other responsible parties, and end users. The plan must be based on the key elements of risk set out in Annex II and identify the risk management responsibilities of the reclamation facility operator and other responsible parties.
Water reuse risk management plans must do the following:
The production and supply of reclaimed water intended for agricultural irrigation is subject to the holding of a permit. Applications for permits or for modification of existing permits must be submitted to the competent authority of the Member State in which the reclamation facility operates or plans to operate.
The permit sets out the obligations of the reclamation facility operator and of other responsible parties. It is based on the water reuse management plan and specifies the following:
Checks on compliance of reclaimed water permits
Holders of reclaimed water permits shall have their compliance verified by the competent authority by compliance checks. Compliance checks are carried out in the following ways:
If the competent authority finds that the reclaimed water permit is not being complied with, the competent authority will require all necessary measures to be taken to restore compliance as soon as possible.
In the case of non-compliance posing significant risks to human health, animal health or the environment, the reclamation facility operator will be forced to suspend the supply of all reclaimed water from the facilities in question until the competent authority has deemed that compliance has been fully restored.
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Jurisdiction: EU
Commencement: 16 August 2020
Amends: Regulation (EU) 2019/631 of the European Parliament and of the Council and by reference to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC)
This Regulation sets CO2 emissions performance requirements for manufacturers of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, and premiums to be paid if they are exceeded.
The technology used in 48 Volt efficient motor-generators combined with 48 Volt/12 Volt DC/DC converters (“the approved technology”), outlined in Article 1 (a) & (b), is approved as an innovative technology as outlined in Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2019/631 setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles. Such innovative technology enables manufacturers and suppliers to help meet CO2 reduction targets.
For manufacturers to use the reductions in CO2 from the approved technology towards their targets, they must first have the CO2 savings certified.
A manufacturer can apply to a type-approval authority* for certification of the CO2 savings from the use of the approved technology. Applications must be accompanied by a verification report from an independent and certified body confirming that the technology used meets relevant specifications.
*The type-approval authority is the authority designated by each member state. It is given the responsibility of certifying that vehicle models meet all EU safety, environmental and conformity of production requirements before authorising it to be placed on the EU market.
Where savings have been certified, the manufacturer must record the certified CO2 savings and the eco-innovation code (explained below) in the certificate of conformity for all vehicles concerned.
The approved technology has been given the eco-innovation code 31. Certified CO2 savings recorded with reference to this code can only take into account the emissions of manufacturers for the calendar year 2020.
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The Compliance People donates all profits to its charity, Newground Together, which works to provide better lives and opportunities for the people living in our communities.
This month we visit another one of The Compliance People’s success stories The Halifax Boxing, Sports and Fitness Club.
Applying for funding back in 2017 they greatly needed to employ a Community Development Officer in order to drive the club further forward, being tasked to get much more of the community involved, as well as developing new services.
Promoting a range of well being services, activities for children and young people with additional needs, our charity Newground Together contributed almost £20,000 and some 36% towards the budget.
Being a part of The Compliance People family means instead of our profits going to shareholders they instead support projects such as this and I hope you are as proud as us when we are able to help communities in this way.
MP for Halifax Holly Lynch says “The club is located at the heart of a close knit community, but one which has its challenges, with poor health and low employment being two particular concerns. The improved facilities at the club enable young people and adults in the area to participate in a health and fitness environment,”
Our charity Newground Together continues in its stake in providing support, referring groups and young people with difficulties to take part in activities and bettering lives as a result!
At The Compliance People we get a real buzz out of seeing how your subscriptions are making such a big difference to supporting our communities, and from the Halifax Boxing Sports and Fitness Club a big thank you to you for making that difference!
The draft Building Safety Bill will make fundamental changes to fire and structural safety in high rise buildings over 18m or six stories in height. It will be of significant interest to those involved in property design, construction and management, affecting the entire life cycle of buildings when it comes into law.
In 2017, the Grenfell Tower tragedy/fire resulted in the loss of 72 lives; the biggest loss of life in a residential fire since WW2.
The Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety conducted by Dame Judith Hackitt and the subsequent report, Building a Safer Future, found that the system for ensuring fire and structural safety in high rise buildings was not fit for purpose.
It made significant recommendations for change, all of which were accepted by the Government, and in the Queen’s Speech in December 2019 it was announced that the Government intended to introduce “new and enhanced regulatory regimes for building safety and construction products, and ensure residents have a stronger voice in the system.” The Government published the Draft Building Safety Bill in late July 2020.
The draft Bill proposes a new Building Safety Regulator to:
It moves the focus to those who create risk, being responsible for managing it.
A new regulator, the Building Safety Regulator will be formed within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to implement the new, more stringent regulatory regime for higher risk buildings. While the Regulator will have a remit for higher risk buildings over 18m or six stories in height, they will also oversee the safety and performance of all buildings. They will also assist and encourage competence among the built environment industry, and registered building inspectors.
The Building Safety Regulator will have new powers under the draft Bill. These include:
Prison sentences for contravention of building regulations will be increased to up to 10 years.
The Regulator will oversee registered building inspectors, whether they be local authority building control officers or private sector operators. There will also be a new mandatory system for reporting structural and fire safety breaches.
The Building Safety Regulator will undertake several regulatory functions that will apply to all buildings, working with building control authorities, technical experts and the construction industry. They will also set up an industry-led committee to advise on industry competence, lead on a competency framework, and drive improvements in competency levels.
The Building Safety Regulator will be responsible for oversight of the competence and performance of registered building inspectors and the building control bodies.
A new Gateway regime will be introduced to ensure safety risks are considered at each stage of a building’s design and construction. The Regulator will have to be consulted by law at the planning permission stage (Gateway one). At Gateway two, the Regulator can issue a ‘hard stop’ meaning construction work cannot start until they are satisfied all safety requirements have been met.
Gateway three occurs at the end of the construction phase when the Regulator will assess whether building regulations have been met. At this stage, all necessary documents and information are to be handed over to the Accountable Person. This information will be known as ‘the golden thread’ and will provide a digital record of information for the entire life cycle of the building, including design, construction, change and upgrades over time.
A new role of the Accountable Person for a high rise building is to be created. They will be the duty holder when a building is occupied, and they will have an ongoing duty to assess building safety risks. They will be required to take all reasonable steps to prevent a major incident in the building as a result of these risks.
Prior to occupation the building will have to be registered with the Regulator. The Accountable Person will have to obtain a Building Assurance Certificate confirming the building is fit for occupation. This will require the preparation and submission of a ‘Safety Case Report’ to the Regulator which demonstrates how building safety risks are being identified, mitigated and managed on an ongoing basis. The Regulator will only issue a Building Assurance Certificate if satisfied the Accountable Person is complying with all their duties.
The Accountable Person will have to display the Building Assurance Certificate prominently in the building. They will also be required to appoint a competent Building Safety Manager to support them in managing day-to-day fire and structural safety risks in the building. The Regulator will have the power to veto this appointment, which has to be formally notified to them.
There will also be duties placed on the Accountable Person to develop a residents’ engagement strategy to promote the involvement of residents and owners of flats in the building, in the making of building safety decisions to create a strong partnership with residents.
Importantly, the legislation will apply to existing buildings. Buildings which are already occupied will need to be registered. Unoccupied buildings will have to be registered before occupation.
Finally, the Bill sets out a new regulatory regime for construction products, strengthening controls on construction products marketed in the UK. Regulations will be created for designated products (products which perform to a designated standard), to create a list of safety critical products (where the failure of such products would result in death or serious injury), and for all construction products on the market not otherwise designated, which will be subject to a United Kingdom Technical Assessment, or on the list of safety critical products are subject to a general safety requirement.
It looks like there will be further changes affecting these sectors in the not too distant future as the Government is currently consulting on further fire safety reforms (until 12 October 2020) See: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety
Look out for future updates from The Compliance People as these changes progress, and what this means for you and your business.
The Compliance People Consultant Hannah Williams outlines the key elements of a good quality legal register that aligns to the relevant requirements of environment, occupational health and safety, and energy management system Standards: ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 50001.
A legal register is a form of document or system that details legislation that an organisation has to be compliant with due to the activities it carries out. The legal register might only contain legislation of a certain type, for example, environmental or health and safety legislation. The range of laws that apply can vary greatly depending on the type and size of an organisation and the industry it works within, as well as depending on where it is based.
Legislation is published by the Government on a daily basis through new Acts and Regulations, in addition to existing laws being amended, revoked or repealed. If a legal register is kept up to date, either automatically through a subscription service or manually, then this provides the organisation with important updates to legislation that may mean they have to implement changes in practices in order to ensure they remain compliant.
The legal register becomes an important resource for an organisation for reference to what they must be doing in order to ensure compliance with legislation. The alternative would be to search for relevant legislation each time an issue arises which would be extremely time-consuming and inefficient. It would also be difficult to know if the legislation found through searching the internet was the most recent version or if it had been replaced by other regulations.
It is of great benefit to a company if the legal register does not just provide a list of titles of legislation, but also summarises each entry in terms of what compliance duties the legislation sets upon organisations. This then provides a greater understanding of compliance and what activities need to be conducted and the processes need to be put in place to ensure compliance within the organisation.
It should be noted that unfortunately one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to legal registers. There isn’t a standard legal register that can be applied to any organisation, or it certainly isn’t best practise to have a legal register like this. As all organisations are different, the register should be bespoke to them and contain just the relevant legislation that applies to them and their activities.
Meeting requirements for environment and health & safety Standards
For companies that are certified, or are aiming to become certified, to management system standards ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety) there are requirements under Clause 6 of each Standard around compliance obligations.
What do the Standards actually say?
ISO 14001:2015: Clause 6.1.3 Compliance Obligations
‘An organisation shall determine and have access to the compliance obligations related to its environmental aspects; determine how these compliance obligations apply to the organization; take these compliance obligations into account when establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving its environmental management system.
An organisation shall maintain documented information of its compliance obligations.’
ISO 45001: Clause 6.1.3 Determination of legal requirements and other requirements
‘The organisation shall establish, implement and maintain a processes to determine and have access to up-to-date legal requirements and other requirements that are applicable to its hazards, OH&S risks and OH&S management system, determine how these legal requirements and other requirements apply to the organisation and what needs to be communicated, take these legal requirements and other requirements into account when establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving its OH&S management system.
The organisation shall maintain and retain documented information on its legal requirements and other requirements and shall ensure it is updated to reflect any changes.’
As you can see, the term ‘legal register’ is not actually used within the Standards themselves. In fact the two Standards differ in the language they use, with ISO 14001 using ‘compliance obligations’ and ISO 45001 using ‘legal and other requirements’. The term legal ‘register’ however has become the standard terminology for what the Standards require. It certainly is one of the best ways an organisation can maintain documented information of its compliance obligations and greatly help them meet the requirements of clause 6.1.3.
What do the Standards actually require organisations to do for this clause? Put simply, a company must have a process that identifies and gives them have access to the applicable regulations, based on the activities they carry out. This must be kept up to date and be considered throughout the whole management system. Therefore, this equates to a legal register!
For more information on what exactly a legal register is and why your organisation needs one, be sure to check out our bitesize webinar.
Jurisdiction: UK
Commencement: 22 July 2020
The Finance Acts 1996 to 2020 confirm and detail environmental taxes and duties as summarised below. This includes:
The rates specified in this entry are from the Finance Act 2020 (c.14) and apply from 1st April 2020.
Businesses are affected by the charges for waste disposal to landfill, energy use and carbon emissions.
Rates payable:
Light passenger vehicles registered before 1st April 2017 (vehicles other than higher rate diesel vehicles)
| CO2 emissions | Rate (£) | ||
| Exceeding g/km | Not exceeding g/km | Reduced rate (£) | Standard rate (£) |
| 100 | 110 | 10 | 20 |
| 110 | 120 | 20 | 30 |
| 120 | 130 | 115 | 125 |
| 130 | 140 | 140 | 150 |
| 140 | 150 | 155 | 165 |
| 150 | 165 | 195 | 205 |
| 165 | 175 | 230 | 240 |
| 175 | 185 | 255 | 265 |
| 185 | 200 | 295 | 305 |
| 200 | 225 | 320 | 330 |
| 225 | 255 | 555 | 565 |
| 255 | – | 570 | 580 |
Light passenger vehicles registered on or after 1st April 2017 (vehicles other than higher rate diesel vehicles)
| CO2 emissions | Rate (£) | ||
| Exceeding g/km | Not exceeding g/km | Reduced rate (£) | Standard rate (£) |
| 0 | 50 | 0 | 10 |
| 50 | 75 | 15 | 25 |
| 75 | 90 | 100 | 110 |
| 90 | 100 | 125 | 135 |
| 100 | 110 | 145 | 155 |
| 110 | 130 | 165 | 175 |
| 130 | 150 | 205 | 215 |
| 150 | 170 | 530 | 540 |
| 170 | 190 | 860 | 870 |
| 190 | 225 | 1295 | 1305 |
| 225 | 255 | 1840 | 1850 |
| 255 | – | 2165 | 2175 |
Higher rate diesel vehicles
| CO2 emissions | ||
| Exceeding g/km | Not exceeding g/km | Rate (£) |
| 0 | 50 | 25 |
| 50 | 75 | 110 |
| 75 | 90 | 130 |
| 90 | 100 | 150 |
| 100 | 110 | 170 |
| 110 | 130 | 210 |
| 130 | 150 | 530 |
| 150 | 170 | 855 |
| 170 | 190 | 1280 |
| 190 | 225 | 1815 |
| 225 | 255 | 2135 |
| 255 | – | 2135 |
Two different rates of landfill tax exist for the disposal of relevant waste made at authorised landfill sites in England and Northern Ireland. Rates for disposal made on or after 1st April 2020 are:
Inert or inactive waste, e.g. rocks or soil, is subject to the reduced rate.
From 1st April 2018, the landfill disposal tax replaced the UK landfill tax in Wales. For further information and rates, see The Landfill Disposal Tax (Tax Rates) (Wales) Regulations 2018.
For landfill tax rates in Scotland, see the Landfill Tax (Scotland) Act 2014 for further information.
Climate change levy rates that apply from 1st April 2020
| Taxable commodity supplied | Rate at which levy if supply is not a reduced-rate supply |
| Electricity | £0.00811 per kilowatt hour |
| Gas supplied by a gas utility or any gas supplied in a gaseous state that is of a kind supplied by a gas utility | £0.00406 per kilowatt hour |
| Any petroleum gas, or other gaseous hydrocarbon, supplied in a liquid state | £0.02175 per kilogram |
| Any other taxable commodity | £0.03174 per kilogram |
Climate change levy rates that apply from 1st April 2021
| Taxable commodity supplied | Rate at which levy if supply is not a reduced-rate supply |
| Electricity | £0.00755 per kilowatt hour |
| Gas supplied by a gas utility or any gas supplied in a gaseous state that is of a kind supplied by a gas utility | £0.00465 per kilowatt hour |
| Any petroleum gas, or other gaseous hydrocarbon, supplied in a liquid state | £0.02175 per kilogram |
| Any other taxable commodity | £0.03640 per kilogram |
Aggregate levy is a tax on sand, gravel and rock that has either been:
If your business exploits aggregate in the UK (i.e. a quarry operator), you must tell HMRC how much aggregate you have produced or sold.
Certain materials are excluded from the tax. A full list of exempted materials can be found here.
The current levy is £2.00 per tonne for sand, gravel or rock.
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Jurisdiction: EU
Commencement: 1 January 2021
Amends: Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as amended
Annex II to the REACH Regulation sets out requirements concerning the content and format of Safety Data Sheets. Annex II will be revised from 1st January 2021 (though old Safety Data Sheets may continue to be provided until 31st December 2022).
Annex II to ‘REACH’ sets out the requirements for content and format of Safety Data Sheets. Annex II is amended to incorporate revisions to the Globally Harmonised System for classification and labelling of chemicals. The changes include a requirement for provision of information where relevant, about endocrine disruptors (natural and man-made chemicals which mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones). The new requirements apply from 1st January 2021, but Safety Data Sheets which do not comply with the revised requirements will still be accepted until 31st December 2022.
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Jurisdiction: UK
Commencement: 16 July 2020
Amends: The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004
The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 implement the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and Council on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. The main objective of the Directive is to promote sustainable development.
New temporary modifications are inserted into The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. Such modifications are needed due to the restrictions on movement imposed by Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The temporary modifications remove the requirement on the Secretary of State (SoS) or responsible authorities* to make the necessary environmental assessment report** and associated documents available for public inspection at their principal office. Instead, these documents are to be made available for inspection through a website provided by the SoS or responsible authority. The public or other consultees (including those from other EU countries) must be notified when documents are made available for inspection online.
*The responsible authority is the authority (e.g. local planning authority) that prepared or had the plan or programme prepared on their behalf. Plans and programmes set the framework for future development projects and include those co-financed by the European Community, as well as modifications subject to preparation by an authority at a national, regional or local level.
**An environmental assessment report must describe and evaluate the likely significant effects on the environment as a result of the implementation of the plan or programme. Any reasonable alternative measures of the objectives and geographical scope must also be considered.
The temporary modifications remove the requirement for the responsible authorities or the SoS to notify the public or other consultees who may be interested in the consultation that a copy of the documents may be obtained from a physical address.
Without these amendments, the responsible authorities and the SoS would be unable to comply with their duties concerning the display and inspection of the relevant documents.
These temporary modifications apply from 16th July 2020 until 31st December 2020. There are no changes in duties for organisations.
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