Agenda item

Report by Public Protection Manager.  (Attached).

The Committee considered a report by the Public Protection Manager (circulated previously) regarding the proposed amendments to Dangerous Wild Animal and Zoo Licensing Fees.

The Public Protection Manager outlined the report and welcomed the new Members to their first Committee. She explained that the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into effect on the 1^st October 2018, which provided substantial updates to animal licensing. There were two areas of animal legislation, which fell outside of the scope of the regulations and those were in the areas of zoo licences and licences for keeping dangerous wild animals. She added that in the case of Hemmings v Westminster City Council, which examined the level of fees for Sex Shop licences judgements had clarified what local authorities could include when setting licences fees and concluded that the licence fee was made up of two parts, the first part covering direct costs for processing an application and the second part for costs associated with running the licensing function.

She advised that the Council currently licensed three zoos, which included Ilfracombe Aquarium, Combe Martin Dinosaur and Wildlife Park and Exmoor Zoo. There were currently no licences in relation to keeping dangerous wild animals. She explained that the fee currently set for zoo and dangerous wild animal licences was £71.10. A review of those fees had not been undertaken for a considerable period and therefore the Council had been significantly under-recovering fees from that area of the licensed community. She referred the Committee to appendix A of the report, which set out the new fees proposed and explained the various parts of the fees. She explained that some zoos that held a small exhibit of animals could apply for exemption or a dispensation. A report in respect of the draft fees had been presented to the Licensing Committee on 5^th February 2019 and a period of consultation took place on the Council’s website from 11^th February to 30^th April 2019. Letters were also sent to the three licenced zoos, which provided a breakdown of the proposed fees and structure and to date no representations had been received. She added that additional income from the proposed amendments to the fees would only allow the Council to recover the costs of administration and enforcement. However, the fees would be regularly reviewed and any proposed increases would be presented to the Committee.

In response to a question, she advised that the report and recommendation would be presented to the Strategy and Resources Committee and then on to Full Council for final approval prior to the proposed fees coming into effect prior to October 2019.

The Committee discussed the wording of the recommendation to include a statement that no representations had been received.

RECOMMENDED, that following the consideration of the draft fees for zoo licences and licences for keeping dangerous wild animals, which had undergone a period of consultation and for which no representations had been received the Strategy and Resources Committee amend the fees in line with the proposals set out in appendix A of the report.