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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-regulations-exempt-flood-risk-activities/exempt-flood-risk-activities-environmental-permits
Check if your activity is exempt and read the conditions you’d need to meet in order to operate without a permit.
Your activity will be exempt from needing a permit only if you:
If you cannot meet all the conditions of an exemption, you must apply to the Environment Agency for a permit for your proposed activity.
You may need planning permission if you’re carrying out an exempt activity.
You must check if there are any protected species in the location of your exempt activity. You can check this at your local environmental records centre.
If you think your works could impact protected species, you must make sure your activity does not harm them. Find out more about protected species.
A permit or exemption does not give you the right to enter land or property owned by someone else to carry out your work. You need to get the owner’s permission.
With this exemption you can erect an electrical cable way and associated supports across a main river.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200 metres(m) of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
With this exemption you can install a service crossing below the bed of a main river using techniques like directional drilling but not using an open cut technique. For example you can install an electricity service duct.
You cannot install a pipe crossing by excavating an open trench through the river.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out any work in or within 100m of any river or lake that is classified as of high morphological status under the Water Framework Directive. This includes within 100m of any rivers or lakes in Wales with this status, if your activity is near the border.
For information about the morphological status contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can attach a service crossing to an existing structure over a main river. For example, you can attach a duct to the parapet of a bridge above the arch openings.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
With this exemption you can construct a footbridge across a main river.
You cannot construct a bridge for vehicles.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 500m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out any work in or within 100m of any river or lake that is classified as of high morphological status under the Water Framework Directive. This includes within 100m of any rivers or lakes in Wales with this status, if your activity is near the border.
For information about the morphological status contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can erect and use temporary scaffolding on a main river.
You cannot erect scaffolding across whole structures such as bridges or weirs that cross a main river.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
The Environment Agency will tell you if your activity is on a salmonid river.
With this exemption you can temporarily dewater a working area of a main river, for example you can install a small coffer dam to inspect building foundations or to allow construction to take place in the dry.
You cannot dewater the full width of the channel.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 500m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency will tell you if your activity is on a salmonid river.
With this exemption you can maintain an existing raised river defence or sea defence. For example, you can raise low spots in an existing bank.
You cannot erect a new defence or realign or increase the height of the defence.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
With this exemption you can maintain a structure within the channel of a main river that is not a raised river or sea defence. For example, you can clean stonework on a bridge or building.
You cannot strengthen a bridge pier by increasing its size.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
The Environment Agency will tell you if your activity is on a salmonid river.
With this exemption you can make a drinking bay for livestock on the bank of a main river.
You cannot install any structure that crosses into the channel, for example the drinking bay cannot extend beyond the bank profile.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 500m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can construct a single platform to allow access to the water’s edge either on the bank or projecting into or over a main river. For example, you can construct a single platform for fishing.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 500m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can construct a small outfall pipe through a headwall on a main river.
You cannot construct or install a structure that crosses the channel.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can carry out repairs and protection to the banks of a main river using natural materials.
You must use natural materials for the repair and protection work, for example spiling or coir rolls.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out any work in or within 100m of any river or lake that is classified as of high morphological status under the Water Framework Directive. This includes within 100m of any rivers or lakes in Wales with this status, if your activity is near the border.
For information about the morphological status contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can repair bank slips and erosion.
You cannot realign a river channel.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 500m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out any work in or within 100m of any river or lake that is classified as of high morphological status under the Water Framework Directive. This includes within 100m of any rivers or lakes in Wales with this status, if your activity is near the border.
For information about the morphological status contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can install a channel habitat structure on a main river, made of natural materials (but not including weirs and berms).
You must use natural materials, for example creating woody debris structures for habitat purposes.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out any work in or within 100m of any river or lake that is classified as of high morphological status under the Water Framework Directive. This includes within 100m of any rivers or lakes in Wales with this status, if your activity is near the border.
For information about the morphological status contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can install temporary rafts for surveys.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
With this exemption you can clean gravel fish-spawning beds.
You cannot dredge or raise or take any sand, silt, ballast, clay or other materials from the bed or banks of a main river. When you have cleaned the gravel you must put it back.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 500m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out any work in or within 500m upstream of a habitat identified by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 sections 41 and 42. These are often called priority habitats.
For information about priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can place stones or logs in the channel of a main river to create or enhance habitat.
You cannot make a weir but you can create groynes.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
With this exemption you can construct an eel passage device on an existing structure in or over a main river.
You cannot construct new independent structures.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
With this exemption you can construct fish passage notches on an existing impounding structure.
You cannot construct new independent structures.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
With this exemption you can remove silt and sand from within a bridge arch or any material from within an existing culvert on a main river.
You cannot remove gravel from a bridge arch.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be on or within 1km upstream of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency will tell you if your activity is on a salmonid river.
With this exemption you can remove sand or silt from the area beside an in-river structure, such as a bridge arch or culvert.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be in or within 1km upstream of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency will tell you if your activity is on a salmonid river.
With this exemption you can dredge no more than 1.5km of the following if they are classed as main rivers:
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
You must be certain that the watercourse is previously straightened, or is a man-made ditch, a land drain or an agricultural drain. Common features of this type of watercourse are:
If you are not sure, contact the Environment Agency.
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 1km upstream of any of the following or within 5km upstream if the site is notified for its freshwater habitats or species.
This includes sites which are part of the flood plain but not the river.
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency will tell you if your activity is on a salmonid river.
With this exemption you can dredge up to 20m of a main river.
Dredging means raising or taking of any sand, silt, ballast, clay, gravel or other materials from or off the bed or banks of a main river - this includes hydrodynamic dredging and desilting.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be in or within 1km upstream of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out:
For information about morphological status or priority habitats contact the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency will tell you if your activity is on a salmonid river.
With this exemption you can excavate scrapes and shallow wetland features in a flood plain of a main river.
You cannot excavate deep features such as fish ponds.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
This exemption can be used, for example, to build a wall around a pair of semi-detached houses.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
With this exemption you can create bankside structures, such as otter holts, to provide shelters for wildlife.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
You must not carry out any work in or within 100m of any river or lake that is classified as of high morphological status under the Water Framework Directive. This includes within 100m of any rivers or lakes in Wales with this status, if your activity is near the border.
For information about the morphological status contact the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency will check if your activity is near a flood defence structure operated by it.
With this exemption you can carry out improvement work on existing tracks and paths. You can improve or maintain existing tracks and paths, such as resurfacing a cycle path.
You cannot make a new or raised path.
Before you register this exemption, you must check your activity meets all of the following conditions:
Your activity must also meet all of the following conditions. The Environment Agency will check that your activity meets them before it registers your exemption.
Your activity must not be within 200m of a:
You can also check where the sites are on the Magic map.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
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