Hazardous substances

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Planning controls for hazardous substances

The role of hazardous substances consent

The planning system deals with preventing and limiting the consequences of major accidents in three key ways:

  1. •

    via hazardous substances consent (HSC). Owners and operators wishing to hold stocks of specified hazardous chemicals and similar substances on, over or under land above a threshold quantity must obtain an HSC from the relevant hazardous substances authority. See Practice Note: Hazardous substance zones and consent

  2. •

    handling development proposals around hazardous installations, and

  3. •

    dealing with hazardous substances in plan-making

See Practice Note: Hazardous substances and planning.

National policy and guidance

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) applies in England. Policy P1 addresses hazardous substances in plan-making and policy P5 addresses development proposals involving or near major hazards. The NPPF glossary defines ‘major hazard sites, installations and pipelines’. Further advice is set out in Planning Practice Guidance: Hazardous substances.

Hazardous substance consent

The basis of statutory control

HSCs are regulated by:

  1. •

    the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 (P(HS)A 1990)

  2. •

    in England, the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2015 (PHSR 2015), SI 2015/627

  3. •

    in...

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