Waste Management Licensing

Last updated: 27 April 2012

The Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 came into operation in December 2003. NIEA are responsible for granting licences, setting conditions on licensing activities and monitoring site to ensure compliance with licence conditions.

Under the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order, a Waste Management Licence is required to authorise the deposit, treating, keeping or disposal of controlled waste on any land, or treatment or disposal of controlled waste by means of mobile plant.

What do I need to apply for a Waste Management Licence?
Planning Permission

Article 8 of the Order states that a licence shall not be granted for a use of land, plant or equipment for which Planning Permission is required under the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, unless such planning permission is in force in relation to that use of land.

Water Discharge Consent

Article 8 of the Order states that a licence shall not be granted for a use of land, plant or equipment for which consent under the Water Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 is required unless such consent has been granted in relation to that use of land.

Fit and Proper Person Criteria

Article 3 of the Order states that a person shall be treated as not being a fit and proper person if it appears to the Department.
(a) that he or another relevant person has been convicted of a prescribed offence;
(b) that the management of the activities which are or are to be authorised by the licence are not or will not be in the hands of a technically competent person; or
(c) that the person who holds or is to hold the licence has not made and either has no intention of making or is in no position to make financial provision adequate to discharge the obligations arising from the licence.

The Department may, if it considers it proper to do so in any particular case, treat a person as a fit and proper person notwithstanding that paragraph (a) applies in his case.

Relevant Offences

The licence holder or another relevant person must not have been convicted of a prescribed offence; Policy on Relevant Convictions (.PDF 473Kb)

Technical Competence

The management of the licensed activities must be in the hands of technically competent person; Technical Competence for operators of authorised waste facilities (.PDF 108Kb)

Financial Provision

The licence holder must be in a position to make financial provision to discharge any obligations for the site e.g. in the event of site closure (this document is currently under review).

To obtain an application form and scale of Fees and Charges, please contact Gary Tate on 028 9056 9358 or gary.tate@doeni.gov.uk

Downloads