diff --git a/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml b/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml
index 5b2e54387f..44de043847 100644
--- a/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml
+++ b/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml
@@ -15,13 +15,10 @@
 
 # Authors:
 # CIL Developers, listed at: https://github.com/TomographicImaging/CIL/blob/master/NOTICE.txt
-# Tomas Kulhanek (STFC)
 
-#creates pairs of versions using zip_keys, lists must be the same length
 ipp_version:
   - '2021.12'
 python:
   - 3.10
   - 3.11
   - 3.12
-
diff --git a/recipe/meta.yaml b/recipe/meta.yaml
index ab544503e5..79c36e47da 100644
--- a/recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -8,23 +8,20 @@ source:
 build:
   preserve_egg_dir: False
   number: {{ GIT_DESCRIBE_NUMBER }}
-  missing_dso_whitelist:
-    - /lib64/libc.so.6            # [linux]
-    - /lib64/libm.so.6            # [linux]
-    - /lib64/libpthread.so.0      # [linux]
-    - /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 # [linux]
 
 test:
   requires:
+    - python
+    - pip
     - python-wget
     - cvxpy                   # [linux]
     - scikit-image
-    - tomophantom=2.0.0       # [linux]
-    - tigre=2.6
+    - tomophantom 2.0.0       # [linux]
+    - tigre 2.6
     - packaging
-    - ccpi-regulariser=24.0.1 # [not osx]
-    - astra-toolbox=2.1=cuda* # [not osx]
-    - matplotlib-base >=3.3.0
+    - ccpi-regulariser 24.0.1 # [not osx]
+    - astra-toolbox 2.1 cuda* # [not osx]
+    - matplotlib-base >=3.3
     - zenodo_get >=1.6
 
   source_files:
@@ -32,45 +29,36 @@ test:
 
   commands:
     - pip install unittest-parametrize
-    - python -m unittest discover -v -s Wrappers/Python/test  # [win]
-    - python -m unittest discover -s Wrappers/Python/test -v  # [not win]
-
+    - python -m unittest discover -v -s Wrappers/Python/test
 
 requirements:
   build:
-    - python
+    - cmake >=3.16
+    - ninja
+    - {{ compiler('cxx') }}
+
+  host:
+    - libgomp      # [linux]
+    - llvm-openmp  # [osx]
+    - ipp-include {{ ipp_version }}
+    - ipp-devel {{ ipp_version }}
+    - python >=3.10,<3.13
     - pip
     - setuptools >=64
     - setuptools_scm >=8
-    - cmake         # [not osx]
-    - cmake >=3.16  # [osx]
-    - libgcc-ng     # [linux]
-    - libstdcxx-ng  # [linux]
-    - _openmp_mutex # [linux]
-    - openmp        # [osx]
-    - vc 14         # [win]
-    - ninja         # [not win]
-    - ipp-include {{ ipp_version }}
-    - ipp-devel {{ ipp_version }}
-    - ipp {{ ipp_version }}
     - scikit-build-core >=0.10
 
   run:
     - python
-    - numpy >=1.23, <2.0.0
-    - scipy >=1.4.0
+    - ipp {{ ipp_version }}
+    - numpy >=1.23,<2
+    - scipy >=1.4
     - h5py
     - pillow
-    - libgcc-ng     # [linux]
-    - libstdcxx-ng  # [linux]
-    - _openmp_mutex # [linux]
-    - openmp        # [osx]
-    - vc 14         # [win]
     - dxchange
     - olefile >=0.46
     - pywavelets
     - cil-data >=22
-    - {{ pin_compatible('ipp', min_pin='x.x', max_pin='x.x') }}
     - tqdm
     - numba
 
diff --git a/scripts/create_local_env_for_cil_development.sh b/scripts/create_local_env_for_cil_development.sh
index 6159d14e0e..36c473b381 100755
--- a/scripts/create_local_env_for_cil_development.sh
+++ b/scripts/create_local_env_for_cil_development.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ conda_args=(create --name="$name"
   cmake'>=3.16'
   dxchange
   h5py
+  llvm-openmp
   ipp'>=2021.10'
   ipp-devel'>=2021.10'
   ipp-include'>=2021.10'
diff --git a/scripts/requirements-test-windows.yml b/scripts/requirements-test-windows.yml
index c563134a63..c317da5368 100644
--- a/scripts/requirements-test-windows.yml
+++ b/scripts/requirements-test-windows.yml
@@ -18,29 +18,29 @@ channels:
   - https://software.repos.intel.com/python/conda
 dependencies:
   # base (vis. recipe/conda_build_config.yaml)
-  - python >=3.10
-  - numpy >=1.23
-  - ccpi::cil-data
-  - ccpi::tigre=2.6
-  - ccpi::ccpi-regulariser=24.0.1
-  - ccpi::tomophantom=2.0.0
-  - astra-toolbox=2.1=cuda*
+  - python >=3.10,<3.13
+  - numpy >=1.23,<2
+  - ccpi::cil-data >=22
+  - ccpi::tigre 2.6
+  - ccpi::ccpi-regulariser 24.0.1
+  - ccpi::tomophantom 2.0.0
+  - astra-toolbox 2.1 cuda*
   - cvxpy
   - python-wget
   - scikit-image
   - packaging
   - cmake >=3.16
-  - setuptools <71
-  - ipp-include=2021.12
-  - ipp-devel=2021.12
-  - ipp=2021.12
+  - setuptools >=64
+  - ipp-include 2021.12
+  - ipp-devel 2021.12
+  - ipp 2021.12
   - ipywidgets
-  - scipy
-  - matplotlib-base
+  - scipy >=1.4
+  - matplotlib-base >=3.3
   - h5py
   - pillow
   - dxchange
-  - olefile
+  - olefile >=0.46
   - pywavelets
   - numba
   - tqdm
diff --git a/scripts/requirements-test.yml b/scripts/requirements-test.yml
index 9abef82307..03adbe1972 100644
--- a/scripts/requirements-test.yml
+++ b/scripts/requirements-test.yml
@@ -18,32 +18,30 @@ channels:
   - https://software.repos.intel.com/python/conda
 dependencies:
   # base (vis. recipe/conda_build_config.yaml)
-  - python >=3.10
-  - numpy >=1.23
-  - ccpi::cil-data
-  - ccpi::tigre=2.6
-  - ccpi::ccpi-regulariser=24.0.1
-  - ccpi::tomophantom=2.0.0
-  - astra-toolbox=2.1=cuda*
+  - python >=3.10,<3.13
+  - numpy >=1.23,<2
+  - libgomp      # [linux]
+  - ccpi::cil-data >=22
+  - ccpi::tigre 2.6
+  - ccpi::ccpi-regulariser 24.0.1
+  - ccpi::tomophantom 2.0.0
+  - astra-toolbox 2.1 cuda*
   - cvxpy
   - python-wget
   - scikit-image
   - packaging
   - cmake >=3.16
-  - setuptools <71
-  - ipp-include=2021.12
-  - ipp-devel=2021.12
-  - ipp=2021.12
+  - setuptools >=64
+  - ipp-include 2021.12
+  - ipp-devel 2021.12
+  - ipp 2021.12
   - ipywidgets
-  - scipy
-  - matplotlib-base
+  - scipy >=1.4
+  - matplotlib-base >=3.3
   - h5py
   - pillow
-  - libgcc-ng     # [linux]
-  - libstdcxx-ng  # [linux]
-  - _openmp_mutex # [linux]
   - dxchange
-  - olefile
+  - olefile >=0.46
   - pywavelets
   - numba
   - tqdm