Article: Licences - zoos Error loading MacroEngine script (file: Apply,Pay,ReportButtons.cshtml) Error loading MacroEngine script (file: ServiceSubNavigation.cshtml) Article Body Under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, any establishment where wild animals are kept for exhibition to the public, otherwise than for the purposes of a circus or a pet shop, requires a licence. The licence application should be submitted to the local authority who liaise with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for the issue of the licence. In order for the licence to be issued an inspection by a veterinary surgeon is required. The vet's report must be submitted with your application form. Procedure The Council will work in close partnership with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on all aspects of zoo licensing. The licensing of zoos is a specialist field and the regulations are complex. If you are thinking of setting up a zoo, it is recommended that you contact Regulatory Services for further advice. How to apply If you would like to make an application, please contact the council using the details provided. Your request for information/complaint should include the following information: Your full name, address and contact details Name and address of business/premise concerned if different from above As much relevant detail about the enquiry/complaint as possible, for instance: Dates Times Descriptions Sequence of events Any action taken by you, or contact made with the business/premise concerned Any information you have already managed to obtain What happens next Two months after notice of the application has been given; details have been published in a local and national newspaper; and a notice placed at the site, Barnsley Council will be able to consider your application. Once the council is able to consider your application, we must consult the police, fire authority, governing body of any national institute concerned with zoos, a neighbouring council (if the zoo overlaps that area of the neighbouring council) and any person wishing to object on grounds of alleged injurious effect on the health and safety of persons living in the area. The Council must arrange an inspection by a consultant inspector from the list of suitable inspectors nominated by the Secretary of State. Application forms Please contact Regulatory Services for an application form - telephone 01226 772468 or e-mail regulatoryservices@barnsley.gov.uk Charges Currently the fee is £146 per annum. You will be invoiced for this following submission of your application form. Frequently Asked Questions What is the Zoo Licensing Act? The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 came into force in 1984. The act requires the inspection and licensing of all zoos in Great Britain. The act aims to ensure that, where animals are kept in enclosures, they are provided with a suitable environment to provide an opportunity to express most normal behaviour. The Zoo Licensing Act (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 amend the Zoo Licensing Act 1981. The amendment act gives force to European Council Directive 1999/22/EC, which deals with the keeping of wild animals in zoos. How does it work? Responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the licensing system and the administration of the act rests with councils. (Usually the Environmental Health department). However central government does have a role. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has responsibility for maintaining a list of zoo inspectors and for setting detailed standards for zoo management with which zoos are expected to comply (the Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice). Following devolution the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales have taken on these responsibilities in their respective countries. The Secretary of State has a two-part list of inspectors which can be called on to inspect the zoos. The first part contains names of veterinary surgeons and veterinary practitioners who have experience of zoo animals. The second part lists persons who are competent (in the Secretary of the State's opinion) to inspect animals in zoos, to advise on their welfare and to advise on general zoo management issues. Inspectors' expenses are paid by the council, and recharged to the owner of the zoo. What does it cover? A zoo is defined in the act as being 'an establishment where wild animals are kept for exhibition ... to which members of the public have access, with or without charge for admission, on more than seven days in any period of twelve consecutive months. The wide scope of this definition means that licensed zoos range from traditional urban zoos and safari parks to small specialist collections such as butterfly houses and aquaria. The act recognises this wide range of establishments by allowing dispensations to be granted for small zoos. Dispensations for these types of collection reduce the number of inspectors to a reasonable level for a small establishment, and do not in any way weaken a zoo's obligation to achieve the levels of animal welfare and modern public safety set out in the Secretary of State's standards. The act does not extend to circuses, or to pet shops, both of which are covered by other legislation. The government has produced a circular, which provides an introductory guide to existing guidance available on animal welfare legislation relating to the keeping of wild animals . Contact details Barnsley Council Regulatory Services PO Box 602 Barnsley S70 9FB Our office hours are 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Friday. Phone: 01226 772468 Fax: 01226 775699 Email: regulatoryservices@barnsley.gov.uk