Consultation on our Proposed Installations Banding Tool

Closed 13 Nov 2023

Opened 21 Aug 2023

Contact

sroc@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Results updated 22 Jan 2024

As part of our commitment to continually assess our service delivery, review our charges for regulatory activities, and to ensure processes are as efficient and effective as possible, NRW commissioned a Strategic Review of Charging (SRoC) programme of the permitting services provided to our customers.

As part of that consultation, we proposed introducing four new charging bands for installation permit applications. While the SRoC programme obtained approval for the charges in this area, feedback we received through the SRoC consultation that ran until January 2023 told us that you felt that we hadn’t provided sufficient information on the four new bands and how they would apply.

We clarified how the proposed charge banding tool would work and we undertook a further 12-week consultation between August and November 2023 to share our proposals and seek feedback. We have taken on board the feedback received and have made changes to the guidance and charge banding tool to reflect these.

We will retire our Operational Risk Assessment tool (Opra) for determining permit application charges from 23:59 on 14th January 2024. From 00:00 on 15th January 2024 all applications that would previously have needed an Opra score to proceed will need to use the new charge banding tool to calculate the charge payable.

Opra will continue to be used to determine the annual subsistence charge payable although we will be reviewing this area which will form part of our longer-term programme of work.

Files:

Overview

As a Welsh Government body, NRW must comply with requirements set out in ‘Managing Welsh Public Money’. This requires that we fully recover the costs of the regulatory services we provide from those who use them, rather than having those services funded through general taxation.

Between October 2022 and January 2023 we consulted on new application charges for a number of regimes, including installations. We made these changes because our charges at that time did not reflect the cost of delivering our service to you. We implemented these changes to recover our costs. 

As part of that consultation, we proposed introducing four new charging bands for installation permit applications.  Feedback we received through the consultation told us that you felt that we hadn’t provided sufficient information on the four new bands and how they would apply. We committed to undertake further engagement with stakeholders with more detail before deciding whether to introduce the new banding tool.

To determine which charge band applies to an application, we have developed a banding tool. The banding tool is intended to match the charge payable more closely to the time it takes to determine each application and therefore the cost to us of providing this service. This is in contrast to the OPRA tool where applicants paid an amount based on an environmental ‘risk factor’ for the whole site.

The assessment needed to determine a variation is specific to an application. It can vary between applications made by the same site operator, and we want the charge to reflect the cost of the service provided. This won’t be a one-size-fits-all approach, but one that is flexible, to fit the individual application.

If you have any queries, please contact us by email at: sroc@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Areas

  • All Areas

Audiences

Interests

  • Strategic review of charging