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Informational only. Not legal advice. Not fire engineering consultancy. The Environment Agency document remains the legal record.

Waste sites permitted by the Environment Agency often operate under an approved fire prevention plan (FPP) or equivalent permit conditions on stack limits, separation distances and ignition sources. When officers record non-compliance on a Compliance Assessment Report (CAR), the wording ties back to those conditions. This guide helps you read FPP-related findings as printed — not redesign your site layout.

Free CAR check  ·  £19.99 Full CARBrief  ·  £49.99 Permit + CAR Review — sourced reading only.

Typical FPP findings on the form

• Stack height / volume — piles exceed approved limits or time-in-storage rules.
• Separation distances — insufficient space between stacks, buildings, or site boundaries.
• Unapproved waste types stored together — incompatible wastes in one bay.
• FPP not approved / not implemented — plan missing or site layout differs from approved drawing.
• Hot works or ignition sources — smoking, welding, or equipment near combustible stacks.

Each row should cite a permit condition — use linking CAR findings to permit conditions to pull the exact schedule text from the Public Register.

Relationship to pollution incident findings

Fire and containment failures may overlap with incident response breaches if run-off or firewater was not controlled — see pollution incident response findings. Read each non-compliance row separately; one event can generate multiple scored lines.

Scoring literacy

Most storage and FPP breaches use reasonably foreseeable impact scoring. Categories print as C1–C4 with points under the Compliance Classification Scheme. Common bands on storage findings include C3 (4 points) for minor foreseeable risk and C2 (31 points) for significant foreseeable risk. CARBrief quotes the printed category; we do not re-score.

Standard rules vs bespoke permits

Fire prevention requirements differ between standard rules and bespoke permits. Standard rules sets include fixed storage limits; bespoke permits may reference a site-specific FPP approved by the EA. Read which regime your permit uses before comparing to generic FPP guidance online.

Actions and deadlines on the CAR

FPP findings often require immediate risk reduction (reduce stack size today) plus written evidence within a stated deadline — see CAR response deadlines. Follow-up may trigger another assessment — what happens after a CAR.

Reading checklist

1. Identify each FPP / storage non-compliance row on the CAR.
2. Open the cited permit condition on the Public Register — find permit online.
3. Compare approved FPP drawing to officer observations as written.
4. Note category, points, and actions for each row separately.
5. Track year-end band impact — can scores increase fees.

See the sample page Order a brief

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