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The government has today announced that the Environment Agency 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.
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.
The Environment Agency has been appointed as the primary point of contact for Cornish Lithium throughout the planning, permitting and licensing process.
The Agency 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 the Environment Agency will consider all risks to the environment and the local community in making their decisions.
Environment Agency Area Director Steve Marks said:
Having one clear environmental regulator will help us work more effectively with our partners across government to regulate projects such as Trelavour Lithium.
This new approach aims to reduce duplication and avoid unnecessary delays, whilst ensuring we apply learnings from the impacts of Cornwall’s mining heritage to protect and improve the environment.
Trelavour Lithium Project
Cornish Lithium expects to produce up to 10,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide each year in Cornwall.
The project is expected to create over 300 skilled jobs in the local area.
Because the project reuses an existing pit, the environmental impact of hard rock extraction is expected to be limited.
No new pits are proposed, and much of the necessary infrastructure, including power, rail and road access, is already in place.
Construction is expected to begin in 2028 and continue for two years. A permit application is expected to be submitted in late 2027.
Lead Environmental Regulator Model
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.
Existing pilots include East West Rail, Sizewell C and Lighthouse Green Fuels, led by the Environment Agency, and Falmouth Docks, led by the Marine Management Organisation.
This pilot is now being expanded to Trelavour Lithium Project and Natural England will be the lead for aspects of the National Grid’s ‘The Great Grid Upgrade’.
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