Wiltshire Council has held successful and well-attended seminars with local businesses that carry animal licences, to talk and support them through changes to national regulations.
The changes are due to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, which came into effect from 1 October. The changes include amendments to a small number of fees and much more comprehensive inspections being carried out.
More than 200 business attended four seminars hosted by the council to hear in detail how their business will be affected by the changes and what they needed to do to adhere to the new regulations.
The council is responsible for the regulation of a variety of animal-related businesses, as well as the keeping of specified dangerous animals by individuals. The licence types issued under the previous regulations by the council were:
- Animal boarding establishment licences (for businesses accommodating dogs or cats – e.g. kennels, catteries, home boarders, pet day care)
- Dog breeding establishment licences (premises used for, or in connection with, the commercial breeding of dogs)
- Pet shop licences (any business which keeps animals with a view to selling them as pets)
- Riding establishment licences (premises which keep horses and ponies for hire for riding, or for riding tuition – excluding livery stables)
- Zoo licences and Dangerous Wild Animal licences are also issued by Wiltshire Council, however, these will continue to be covered by their own specific legislation
- Performing animals
The new regulations have amended the previous licensing regime in a number of ways, but the key changes are;
- A premises can have a single licence covering a number of licensed activities (similar to premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003).
- That a licence can last for one to three years depending upon a risk assessment produced in line with Secretary of State Guidance.
- Inspections to be carried out by a suitably qualified person.
- The new provisions contain nationally set regulations for each animal based activity, which cannot be amended and form the basis for conditions on the new licences
Under the new arrangements, the inspection process will also be much more comprehensive, and built around providing the premises with a ‘risk rating’. This process will establish whether the business is ‘low risk’ or ‘higher risk’ based on the level to which it meets the standards set out in regulations and guidance, and award between one and five stars.
Businesses need to have their new licenses in place from 1 January 2019. The inspections under the new regulations are already underway by Wiltshire Council.
Jerry Wickham, cabinet member for public health and public protection, said: “These new regulations will change the way both we and businesses work in this area, which will ultimately be to the benefit of the public. This should reassure people that when they visit or use the services of any animal-related business, the owners and management teams have gone through a detailed transparent process to ensure they adhere to the regulations.
“We were really pleased with the turnout for our information seminars, and we’ll continue to work with the businesses affected, offer our support and guidance, and answer any questions or concerns they may have.”
