United Kingdom · guide · 17 September 2026
What does C1 mean on a Compliance Assessment Report?
C1 is risk category 1 under the Environment Agency’s Compliance Classification Scheme (CCS) — the highest breach category on a Compliance Assessment Report (CAR), scoring 100 points per non-compliance. Source: EA guidance on assessing and scoring environmental permit compliance (OGL v3.0).
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C1 in the CCS scale
The EA assigns each scored non-compliance a risk category and points total:
| Code | Category | Points (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Major breach | 100 |
| C2 | Significant breach | 31 |
| C3 | Minor breach | 4 |
| C4 | No substantive breach / compliance | 0 |
Year-end compliance bands (A–F) aggregate points across assessments — see what CCS scores mean and can scores increase fees.
What C1 usually signals on a CAR
A C1 finding on a CAR means the EA classified at least one non-compliance as a major breach of permit conditions or regulatory requirements. On the form you should see:
- The risk category code C1 next to the non-compliance row
- 100 points contributing to the site’s CCS score for that assessment period
- A description of what was wrong, linked permit conditions, and stated actions / dates
- Possible reference to enforcement consideration — a CAR is not itself an enforcement notice
Read the EA’s exact wording on your CAR — do not infer severity from the code alone without the narrative text.
C1 vs site warning or enforcement notice
A CAR records compliance assessment findings. A site warning or enforcement notice is a separate legal document. A CAR may state enforcement is being considered. This guide does not advise how to respond — see CAR response deadlines for reading action dates only.
What CARBrief extracts for C1 rows
CARBrief organises each C1 non-compliance with permit condition cross-reference, action deadline, CCS points, and page citation from the published CAR. We do not soften EA language or design remediation plans.
Questions
What is C1 on an Environment Agency CAR?
C1 is risk category 1 under the Compliance Classification Scheme — a major breach scoring 100 points on the CAR form. It is the highest scored breach category in the standard C1–C4 scale published by the EA.
Is C1 worse than C2 or C3?
Yes on the published points scale: C1 = 100 points (major), C2 = 31 (significant), C3 = 4 (minor). Year-end banding depends on total points across the compliance year.
Will CARBrief tell me how to fix a C1 finding?
No. CARBrief is sourced reading of the published CAR. Remediation advice needs an environmental consultant or solicitor.
Informational only. Sources: EA assessing and scoring guidance (OGL v3.0). Last reviewed September 2026. CARBrief is not the Environment Agency.