Fees and Charges
Background
The Introduction of a Fees and Charges Scheme under the Water Abstraction and Impoundment (Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006
On 1 February 2007 the Water Abstraction and Impoundment (Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 came into effect. The Regulations fulfil Northern Ireland's obligation to the European Commission under the Habitats and Water Framework Directives, by establishing a water resource management, assessment and licensing regime.
These regulations aim to provide a single and consistent environmental risk based approach that covers all abstractions and impoundment operations.
The fees and charges scheme has been developed with the aim of recovering the full costs associated with implementing the legislation. The Scheme comprises of application fees and annual charges and came into effect on 1 April 2011.
Application Fees
From 1 April 2011 the following charges apply:
- A fee of £138 for all applications to abstract water of more than 20 cubic metres per day.
- A fee of £30 for any variations to an existing licence.
- No fee will be charged for applications to abstract water of between 10 and 20 cubic metres per day. However an application form must still be submitted.
- No action is necessary for an abstraction of less than 10 cubic metres per day however you must comply with Permitted Controlled Activities (.PDF 100Kb)
.
Payment Method
Payment should be made when submitting the application form.
Please make cheques / postal orders payable to 'The Department of the Environment'. Any application received without the fee will be deemed incomplete by NIEA and returned to applicant.
Please do not send cash in the post. If you would prefer to pay by cash, this can only be done in person by visiting the Agency’s Water Management Unit office in Lisburn.
Annual Charge
An annual charge will only apply to licence holders who abstract more than 100 cubic metres per day. Reductions or exemptions are in place for small scale abstractions, including some farm businesses, hydro-turbines and fish farm operations.
We will determine the correct charge based on the information submitted in the application form and conditioned in the licence. Further information on how this is calculated is avaible in Calculation of Annual Charges Guidance (.PDF 147Kb).
To calculate what your Annual Charge will be please use the Annual Charge Calculator (.xls 52Kb). If you require assistance or confirmation of the annual Charge please contact the Abstraction and Impoundment Licensing Team using contact details below.
An invoice for the annual charge will be issued in advance and will reflect abstractions made during the calendar year. Details of how to pay will be clearly illustrated on the invoice.
How to Contact us:
Abstractions and Impoundments Licensing Team
NIEA Water Management Unit
17 Antrim Road
Lisburn
County Antrim
BT28 3AL
Tel: 028 9263 3482
Fax: 028 9267 6054
Email: AIL@doeni.gov.uk
