Applications may be made by forwarding the correct application forms, along with the fee and all supporting documentation, to Licensing.
To assist you in providing a complete application, we have produced a checklist of the minimum required supporting documents [PDF, 201Kb]. Please refer to this before submitting your application.
Your submitted application will then be processed by The Technical Hub. Applications will only be deemed complete when all of these supporting documents have been received.
The Technical Hub are unable to provide help and advice on submitting a complete application. If you need help or assistance with your procedures, please refer to the statutory guidance issued by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website. You may also wish to consider the Licensing Pre-Application Advice Service.
Further information on our Pre-Application Advice Service can be found on the Licensing – Commercial and other webpage.
Once your submitted application is deemed complete, you will be allocated a Case Officer. The Case Officer will be a qualified and appointed Animal Inspector, which is required as per the Regulations.
The Case Officer will contact you to arrange the inspection. Prior to the initial inspection, a draft Inspection Report will be provided. This Inspection Report will detail the requirements of obtaining a licence.
The Officer must be satisfied that these requirements will be met prior to granting a licence.
Following the inspection, the Case Officer will make it clear what is still required for a licence to be granted. You will then be given the opportunity to rectify any outstanding matters within a suitable timeframe. Case Officers aim to deal with complete applications within 10 weeks, from allocation.
When applications are received, Licensing consult various other departments, including Planning. Should planning permission or any other authorisation be needed, an appropriate independent application should be made. Further application on Planning requirements can be found via the dedicated webpage.
The granting of an animal activity licence does not cover any other legal requirements and does not mean that planning permission will be granted.