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.

GRS Stone Supplies Ltd plans to start operating the inert landfill at Lower Hare Farm on 1 June 2026.

We issued the environmental permit for this site on 3 April 2025. From the first day of operation, we expect the site to meet all the conditions in that permit.

We’ve worked closely with GRS and are satisfied they can meet these requirements. We know this site is a concern for many of you. That’s why we want to be clear about what’s happening and what we will do next.

We will check the site early in its operation and plan to visit within the first couple of weeks. Our role is to make sure the permit is followed and the environment is protected.

How we regulate

When we inspect a site, we record any problems in a Compliance Assessment Report (CAR).

This sets out:

• what the issue is
• what the operator must do to fix it
• when they must complete the work
• any enforcement action we may take

We focus our effort where risks to people, communities and the environment are highest. We aim to be clear, consistent and proportionate in how we regulate.

We work with operators who are willing to put things right. But if they do not act, we can take enforcement action.

You can read more about how we regulate here:
Waste operations and installations: assessing and scoring environmental permit compliance – GOV.UK

How to contact us

If you see an environmental incident, call our 24-hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60

You can find out more about the types of incidents we respond to here: Report an environmental problem – GOV.UK

We focus our response on incidents that pose the greatest risk to people and the environment. This means we cannot attend every report.

In some cases, after assessing the risk, we may decide no further action is needed. Even then, your reports matter. They help us build a clearer picture of environmental risks and target our work where it has the most impact.
If you have questions about how we regulate this site, you can email: dcisenquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk