皇家华人

NFU strongly disagrees with Environment Agency increased charges proposals

29 May 2025

Environment and climate
Environment Agency sign

Photograph: Simon Vine/Alamy

皇家华人has said the Environment Agency's proposals to increase a number of regulatory charges come at a difficult time for the agriculture sector, with profitability and confidence already at an all-time low.

The Environment Agency says that the overall costs of employing its staff have increased due to the government approved pay award and employer National Insurance contributions.

In addition, it also needs to cover increased costs relating to corporate service and IT systems development costs. As a result, the Agency is consulting on a one-off increase for some charges (in the range of 7.5% 鈥� 14%) in the Environmental Permitting and waste charging schemes in the current period 2025-2026.

From 2026, the Agency proposes to update all charges in line with inflation.

How does this affect me?

The Agency鈥檚 proposed increases will affect a number of application or annual charges for permit and licensed activities that farmers undertake.

Some fees are excluded from the changes, but this does affect:

  • abstraction licence application fees (9.5 %) and annual fees (10 %)
  • poultry permitting annual fees (11.5 %)
  • flood risk activity application and annual fees (7.5 %)
  • landspreading of sheep dip application (9 %) and annual fees (11 %)
  • and biowaste (composting and AD) annual fees (14 %).

28 May 2025

Consultation closes

This consultation has now closed.

28 May 2025

NFU publishes response

We disagree strongly with these charge proposals. This is a difficult time for the agriculture sector.

Profitability and confidence are at an all-time low and the current policy landscape (inheritance tax changes, the recent suspension of the Environmental Land Management Scheme, Sustainable Farming Incentive, progressive decreases in Basic Payment Scheme payments) has further constrained the incentives and opportunities for farmers and growers to improve the profitability of their farming businesses.

It would be difficult for the agriculture sector to absorb such above inflation increases and at such short notice.

Our key concerns are that the proposed charge changes:

  • run counter to the government鈥檚 growth mission
  • risk unintended consequences
  • are difficult to reconcile in the backdrop of a decline in the quality and timeliness of the permitting service; and
  • are not fully transparent in terms of the pipeline of future proposed charge increases.

We鈥檇 welcome greater transparency from the Environment Agency in its own plans for efficiencies and costs savings, which are largely absent from the consultation paper.

NFU members can log in and read our response in full.

听

16 April 2025

Environment Agency opens consultation

The Environment Agency has said that, due to increases in the costs of delivering its services and inflationary pressures, it has reviewed its regulatory charges and is proposing an increase to these. 

The is due to close on 28 May. 

皇家华人is reviewing the proposals in detail and will be seeking feedback from members by Friday 23 May to inform its response.

Cost hike adds pressure

Responding to the news, NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos said: 鈥淕iven the many other pressures and challenges in the farming sector, farm businesses are not in a position to absorb higher costs in the way of these proposed increases to Environment Agency charges.

鈥淭he level of charge increases proposed will not only add to the financial burden, but also potentially disincentivise growth and investment in environmental improvements.鈥�

This page was first published on 17 April 2025. It was updated on 29 May 2025.

Ask us a question about this page

Once you have submitted your query someone from NFU CallFirst will contact you. If needed, your query will then be passed to the appropriate NFU policy team.

You have 0 characters remaining.

By completing the form with your details on this page, you are agreeing to have this information sent to the NFU for the purposes of contacting you regarding your enquiry. Please take time to read the NFU鈥檚 Privacy Policy if you require further information.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and apply.