Environment Agency to lead environmental regulation of the Trelavour Lithium Project

The government has announced that we will be the Lead Environmental Regulator for the Trelavour Lithium Project by Cornish Lithium, as part of a pilot which aims to speed up regulatory approval for major growth projects.

Cornish Lithium plans to produce high-grade lithium by redeveloping a former china clay pit in St Dennis, Cornwall. We expect it to be one of the high interest sites featured on this page later in the year/early 2027.

The project is intended to deliver lithium in an environmentally responsible way for the growing UK battery industry, helping to build a more sustainable domestic supply chain and support the transition away from fossil fuels.  Lithium is central to supporting the UK advanced manufacturing sectors and the clean energy transition.

We have been appointed as the primary point of contact for Cornish Lithium throughout the planning, permitting and licensing process. We will coordinate input from regulatory partners, including Natural England, so that advice is aligned and provided as early as possible. The aim is to reduce duplication, avoid unnecessary delays, and give developers greater clarity.

This new approach will not reduce the level of environmental protection in place, and we will consider all risks to the environment and the local community in making their decisions.

Developers of nationally significant infrastructure often navigate complex environmental requirements involving multiple regulators. These protections are critical, but the process of engaging with them has not always been as coordinated as it could be. 

Under the new model, a single regulator is appointed as the primary point of contact for a developer throughout the planning, permitting and licensing process. The programme is currently being tested across a small number of projects to learn what works, identify where improvements are needed and inform any longer-term implementation. 

Importantly, this model is a reform to how regulation is coordinated, not what is required. All statutory duties, Environmental Impact Assessments, permitting standards, and mitigation obligations apply in full.