Agenda and minutes

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 9^th June 2016

The minutes of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 9^th June 2016 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee held on 9^th August 2016

The minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee meeting held on 9^th August 2016 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Committee or the Chief Executive

There were no announcements.

The Environmental Health and Licensing Manager introduced the report on Dog Day Boarding Establishments. The Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 requires any person who keeps a boarding establishment for cats and/or dogs to be licensed by the Local Authority to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the animals during their stay.

Horsham District Council has only licensed the boarding of dogs at commercial kennels and private households as part of a business. The model licensing conditions adopted for traditional commercial kennels and home boarders were not appropriate for day boarding.

Dog day boarding establishments were likely to begin operating within Horsham District. These businesses are required to be licensed under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963.

Applying more appropriate licence conditions to dog day care establishments would ensure the health, welfare and safety of the animals boarded. The proposed new conditions for the commercial day boarding of dogs had been adapted from the Council’s existing conditions whilst taking conditions used by other local authorities in to account.

RESOLVED

i)         To endorse the licensing of commercial dog day boarding establishments.

ii)        To approve the new licence conditions for the commercial day boarding of dogs set out in Appendix 1 to the officer’s report.

REASONS

i)       The setting of conditions for licences is the responsibility of the Licensing Committee.

ii)      To protect the welfare of dogs whilst at commercial dog day boarding establishments.

The Environmental Health and Licensing Manager took Members through the proposed licence conditions for home boarding. Whilst Horsham District Council follows the Model Conditions published by LACORS it was considered that two of the conditions required amending to make them more appropriate and enforceable.

RESOLVED

That the amended conditions as set out in Appendix 1 of the officer’s report be approved with immediate effect.

REASONS

i)       The setting of conditions for licences is the responsibility of the Licensing Committee.

ii)      To ensure appropriate and enforceable conditions.

The Environmental Health & Licensing Manager reported on the proposed fees for various licences issued by the Environmental Health & Licensing Department. The fees, if approved by the Committee, would take effect on 1^st April 2017.

The individual licence fees were calculated to recover the cost of issuing the licence and enforcing the requirements of the legislation. The fees were calculated taking into account officer time, transport and any external costs that the Council incurred. The fees could not make a profit for the Council and could not include the cost of enforcement. There were other licenses issued by the Environmental Health & Licensing Department, the fees for which were set by statute and could not be changed.

The proposed fees had been fully recalculated on a cost recovery basis.

RESOLVED

That the fees for licences issued during 2017/18 be approved, as submitted, to take effect from 1st April 2017.

REASONS

i)       The setting of fees for licences is the responsibility of the Licensing Committee.

ii)      To ensure openness and transparency in decision making.

Items not on the agenda which the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as urgent because of the special circumstances