The Environment Agency – What to expect in an EA inspection
The Environment Agency has recently recruited 84 agricultural Regulatory Inspection Officers to inspect farms and support farmers to protect the environment.
The country has been divided into river catchments, with farms designated into areas depending on which river catchment their land sits in. Inspections are then being scheduled on farms in the most polluted river catchments first.
Inspections will focus on the following compliance documents:
- Nutrient Management Plan*
- Soil Samples*
- Drainage Plans
- NVZ Records
The on-farm inspection will look at:
- Fuel storage facilities
- Silage Clamps*
- Slurry Storage*
- Farmyard and muck stores*
- Fields (runoff and slopes)
- Yard drainage*
- Chemical storage
- Pesticide Handling Areas*
*did you know there are grants available for each of the items indicated
The EA inspectors aim to advise farmers on how to reduce pollution.
Where issues are identified inspectors will work with farmers to come up with solutions and an action plan to complete work.
There are lots of grants available to assist with the cost of capital infrastructure work.
If you have applied for a grant but works are yet to be completed this will be accounted for.
Top Tip: If you are planning on building a new slurry store or silage clamp, plans now have to be approved by the Environment Agency as part of the planning process. As well as approving applications, the EA will also feed into your design process to ensure what you build is compliant and future-proof.
At present there are grants available to get your farm to comply with the legislation, it is a good idea to get compliant now while there is funding available, instead of being left to get compliant once the grants have run out, and the EA take a harder line.
If you need any assistance either in the run up to an inspection or getting your farm infrastructure in order, do get in touch here.
Related posts
One of the intentions of the Planning Act 2008 was to make the permitting of major infrastructure projects more straightforward by combing planning consent and the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO)
The current local electricity distribution network has been supplying North Shropshire with electricity reliably for many years. But with future growth plans in the region planned up to
In the energy industry a lot is being said about the development in battery storage technology. After the fall in renewable incentives a lot of focus is being given to
The economic viability of commercial rooftop solar installations could be severely damaged next year under plans to increase business rates taxes by up to eight times the current levels following
As at the start of February 2016, many farmers will not have received their 2015 BPS payments. The RPA is under increasing pressure to make these payments and we
Across the Northwest/West Mids/North Wales region we have seen a general slowing in the value of residential development land over the last 12 months as more sites come to
