A range of commercial and industrial premises capable of emitting significant amounts of pollution ('prescribed processes') have been required to be authorised under the Environmental Protection Act.

The responsibility for regulating these processes is split between the Council and the Environment Agency. The majority of processes covered by this Act within the London Borough of Bexley only have significant emissions to air and are regulated by the Council.

Part of the philosophy behind regulation under the Environmental Protection Act has included improving public access to information about industrial processes and their emissions. A public register containing information about prescribed processes within the borough is available for inspection free of charge at the offices of the Public Protection Service at Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 7AT during normal office hours. The Council also keeps copies of documents on behalf of the Environment Agency on the public register.

Authorisations under the Environmental Protection Act are starting to be phased out and to be replaced by permits under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act. Similar in many ways to authorisations, permits can be more onerous in their requirements than authorisations, especially for the more complex/polluting processes.

For further details about application forms and for further advice and information, see Environmental permit.