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Petroleum storage and searches

Trading Standards are the Petroleum Enforcement Authority in East Sussex and we are responsible for ensuring safety at sites where petrol is delivered, stored and dispensed.

The Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014 introduced a permitting system for the storage of petroleum under certain circumstances. The keeper of fuel must apply for a Petroleum Storage Certificate from this service. We must be satisfied with how petroleum is stored at the site and the precautions that have been taken to minimise the risks presented by this storage.

If you intend to store between 30 and 275 litres of petroleum at a non-domestic site you must notify us in writing and state the following:

  • the quantity in litres you wish to store
  • how the petroleum is stored (using the correct containers)
  • your name and or business name
  • the address and exact location where the petroleum is stored confirming it is away from any dwelling
  • details of your risk assessment

We must be in receipt of this notice before you proceed to store petroleum.

You may need a licence to store more than 275 litres of petrol.

Fees are set by the Health and Safety Executive.

The Health and Safety Executive provide safety guidance for:

To apply for petroleum storage, contact us on 0345 60 80 197 (option 2).


We can check our records for evidence of petrol storage at a given address.

Information can be accessed about current or historic presence of underground petroleum storage tanks data relevant to a particular location in East Sussex only.

We may ask you for confirmation in writing from the registered landowner or current keeper for permission for the search to take place.

Our standard hourly fee for this service and the final amount will vary depending on the extent of the information requested. As we can only provide details using the information available to us, we cannot fully guarantee that we can answer all of your questions.

To request a search, contact us on 0345 60 80 197 (option 2).

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