The Environment Agency Proposes Revocation of Licences

April 7, 2021

Last week the Environment Agency published a consultation on the revocation of eight abstraction licences throughout the UK. Driven by a new programme for sustainable abstraction, appropriate use of water resources and their conservation, the regulator set out the details of their proposal.

Our James Dodds made the following comment:


“The ability of the Environment Agency to revoke unused licences has been on the cards for some time. Over the last two years they have been writing to licensees who have not used or underused their abstraction, asking whether the licences are needed or whether they would like to voluntarily revoke them. While it is unnecessary and possibly costly to keep a licence that isn’t required, and it locks away a resource that could be used in better ways, it is also common in some industries that licences are used periodically and need to be retained.


The use of statutory powers to revoke licences is an important trend that all licence holders should be aware of. The phrase ‘use it or lose it’ is more important than ever.”


Envireau Water are one of the leading independent abstraction licensing specialists in the UK, with an enviable track record in solving abstraction licensing issues. If you have any questions or are approached regarding licence revocation contact us at info@envireauwater.co.uk or call on 01332 871 882.

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