Meeting documents

To consider the report attached as an appendix.

Contact: Peter Seal 01296 585083

It was reported that Aylesbury Vale District Council were responsible for licensing kennels and catteries within its area under the Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1963. It was also reported that home boarding was rising in popularity, which also required licensing. Currently about 50 home boarders were licensed.

In the last year or so there had been enquiries from individuals proposing to set up dog day care facilities on a much larger scale in purpose built premises and such premises would require a licence under the Act. At present, neither the current standard conditions for animal boarding nor home boarding were entirely appropriate for this kind of operation.

In respect to the licensing requirements the Act had regard to the nature of the accommodation, including construction, size, number of occupants, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness; the availability of food, drink and bedding; the control and spread of infectious disease; protection of animals in case of fire, and various documentation requirements. Further, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 had introduced "5 freedoms" in respect to animal welfare:-

·         Freedom from hunger and thirst;

·         Freedom from discomfort;

·         Freedom from pain, injury and disease;

·         Freedom to behave normally; and

·         Freedom from fear and distress.

Following an enquiry and in anticipation of a business eventually setting up in the Vale, a draft set of conditions were drawn up. These had been based on other authorities licensing conditions and other sources. The draft conditions were sent to one of AVDC’s designated vets, the individual who had made the enquiry and the council’s Environmental Health team for feedback. The draft conditions were attached as an appendix to the report.

The council was also required to determine a fee for dog day care establishments based on the recovery of delivering the service. Based on fees for commercial boarding establishments, as agreed in 2015, it was recommended that the fee for a new application be £450 which included the vet costs, and a renewal be £110.

The situation regarding any new establishments would be monitored and if necessary a report would be brought back to a future Licensing Committee.

Members commented and sought clarification on various matters including disease control, fees to be charged, temperature controls in the premises, disposal of waste  and the different types of boarding facilities. It was confirmed the conditions attached to any licence only considered the welfare of the dogs, and other issues such as noise and location/size of premises came under separate legislation.

Officers also confirmed that DEFRA had been consulting on changes to all animal establishment licensing as current licensing was based on out of date legislation. DEFRA were proposing to introduce new secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Consequently it was felt better to wait for the outcome on this as standard conditions may be put in place for all such establishments.

Subject to a couple of minor changes in the conditions, it was

RESOLVED –

1.    That members noted the report;

2.    Agreed the standard licensing conditions as attached to the report as an appendix and the fees as outlined above for Dog Day Care Establishments; and

3.    That an update be brought back to Licensing committee at a future meeting.