Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Monica Stringfellow with Councillor Ian Woodall in attendance as substitute.

Apologies were also received from Councillor Sachin Mathur.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and / or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

There was no public speaking.

The Chair announced that Agenda item 4 (Minute No32) had been deferred to a future meeting of the licencing Committee due to some inaccuracies in the report and that a new report will be circulated to Members in the agenda to be considered at that meeting.

The Interim Principal Licensing Officer, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), presented the report to Members. The purpose of the report was for Members to note the report and recommend to Council that the applicable Fees and charges are set.

Officers detailed that in March 2024, The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 was made, due to go into effect from 6^th April 2025 and being enforceable from 6^th April 2026.

As the regulation was determined by central government, a consultation was not required by Local Authorities and therefore members were asked to note the report and Recommend to Council that the applicable licence fees were set.

Officers detailed that from information provided by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), approximately 5000 primates were being kept privately within Britain, the most common of which being Marmosets, Tamarins and Squirrel Monkeys.

During 2019 following manifesto commitments, a call for evidence was undertaken which found that 98.7% of respondents expressed support for the ban of keeping, selling, breeding or otherwise transferring ownership of Primates unless appropriately licenced. It was further detailed that there was strong support for any licence holder being required to maintain their care to “Zoo Level Standards”.

In 2023 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) were consulted on introducing a licencing regime and on 5^th March 2024, Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 were made under section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Officers detailed that the regime would come into effect on 6^th April 2025 and it would be illegal to own a primate without an appropriate licence from 6^th April 2026.

The legislation did not detail the level of qualification which inspectors had to attain, nor clarify if further training was required. WRS would be monitoring this detail and would act accordingly when new information was available.

A web page had been implemented by WRS to inform the public of the new legislation, Officers commented that it would be difficult to identify private owners of primates but that they were relying on information provided by Members of the pubic, however, they would also contact veterinary practices which may be aware of owners who they have assisted previously.

After questions from Members, the following was clarified:

·       No guidance had been given as to what would happen to Primates whose owners did not intend to pursue attaining a licence.

·       That a licence would have a maximum duration of 3 years before expiry when it needed to be renewed.

·       Fees were a best estimate, based on current fee amounts. Should it cost more than expected to undertake the work, an amendment would be put forward by WRS to the relevant body to adjust the fees.

·       That inspections would be undertaken at random, it was detailed that an inspection would be undertaken at the start/renewal of the licence and it was intended for there to be one unannounced inspection during its 2 or 3 year duration.

Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

Verbal Update.

Officers detailed that the agenda item had been added onto the work programme for 14^th July 2025. Officers’ apologised for the delay in submitting a report but due to key Officer changes within WRS some of the information had been delayed.

Following Questions from Members, Officers detailed that the item marked as having no set date “CCTV in Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles” would be put on the work programme following Officer discussions and that a date will be set before the meeting in July.

Officers also detailed that there would be an additional meeting to consider the deferred item “responses to consultation on mandatory safeguarding refresher training for taxi and private hire drivers.”. Additionally, following consultation with the Redditch Taxi Association (RTA), support has been expressed by the association for an increase in Hackney Carriage fares, therefore, Officers would also bring “Annual review of Hackney Carriage table of fares” to that meeting.

The Public and Private minutes of the Licensing Committee of 18^th November 2024 were presented to Members.

RESOLVED that

The minutes of the Licensing Committee held on the 18^th November 2024 were approved as a true and accurate record and signed by the Chair.

In the opinion of the Chief Executive, the meeting will not be, or is unlikely to be open to the Public at the time the following items of business are considered for the reasons stated.  The Committee will be asked to pass the following resolution:

“that under S.100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act, as amended:

·             Paragraph 1 – Any Individuals

·             Paragraph 2 – Identity of Individuals

·             Paragraph 3 – Financial or Business Affairs

·             Paragraph 7 – The Prosecution of a Crime.”

RESOLVED that

Under S100 A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public were excluded on the grounds of the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 of the said act, as amended.

(In view of the fact that information may be revealed in relation to individuals, the identities and financial or business affairs of those individuals and the prosecution of crimes, any reports will be confidential and circulated to Members and relevant Officers only.)

Restricted Minutes.