Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendation:

That Cabinet Recommend to Council that the fees in respect of Primate Licences, in accordance with the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024, be set at £199 for Licence applications and any variation or renewal applications.

Consideration was given to the report which sought to set an appropriate fee for the Primate Licence application. Recent changes to Animal Health legislation included the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 which provided for the licensing of primate keepers.

The legislation prohibited the keeping of primates as pets unless individuals could meet the rigorous conditions of a new licensing scheme, which included the requirement for licence holders to seek veterinary input on the appropriate care of their animals. Primates had complex welfare and social needs, and the standards were designed to ensure that only those who could demonstrate the highest levels of animal welfare would be permitted to keep primates.

An individual who kept, or was proposing to keep, a primate could apply for a Primate Licence. The application must specify a range of details including the species of primate, and the number of primates of each species to be kept under the licence. It must detail the sex, species, date of birth (or if not known, the approximate date), and the number of any microchips implanted, for each primate.

Before issuing a licence, a suitable officer must inspect the premises specified in the application to determine whether the licence conditions were likely to be met if the application were to be granted. If licence conditions were likely to be met, then a licence could be issued. Conversely, if licence conditions were not likely to be met, then the application must be refused. Where the Council was satisfied that a licence could be issued, the licence could be issued for three years unless the applicant specified a shorter period. The Regulations made further provisions for renewal, variation, revocation and surrender of licences, together with provisions in the event of the death of a licence holder.

The Council could set a fee for the application and a fee for any inspections. There was already a fee set for Dangerous Wild Animal Licences which covered the same direct and indirect costs of licensing as proposed for Primate Licensing. Consequently, the same fee of £199 was proposed for the Licence fee along with any variation or renewal applications.

Resolved:

That Cabinet recommend to Council that the fees in respect of Primate Licences, in accordance with the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024, be set at £199 for licence applications and any variation or renewal applications.