On 6 April 2016 the Environment Agency (EA) issued twelve new standard rules permits for flood risk activities. The activities covered include for the temporary diversion of a main river, works to main river banks, excavating a wetland or pond in a main river floodplain and installing and using boreholes and trial pits within a main river floodplain for a temporary period.
For each new activity the EA has issued a set of rules, guidance on how to comply with the rules and a generic risk assessment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/standard-rules-environmental-permitting
