Issue - meetings

To provide Cabinet with the opportunity to approve the new Animal Licensing Policy.

Purpose of report

To provide Cabinet with the opportunity to approve the new Animal Licensing Policy.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Approves the updated final draft of the South Kesteven District Council Animal Welfare Policy.

2.    Delegates to the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Licensing, to make minor amendments to the Policy, such as legislative updates, which may become necessary from time to time to ensure its continued accuracy, but do not affect its direction or intent.

Alternative options considered and rejected

An Animal Welfare Policy was not necessary and therefore Cabinet can decide that a Policy is not required. The Authority could have continued to provide the animal welfare licensing provision in the current manner.

Reasons for decision

A new Animal Welfare Policy supported the Council in fulfilling its statutory duties associated with Animal Welfare Licensing, providing guidance to the public and for Officers and Members when decision making. It set out the principles the Council used in dealing with animal welfare matters.

Representations were made at Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee at two of its meetings in February and June 2024. Following these representations, legal advice was sought. No amendments were subsequently made in respect of the feedback received, save for some grammatical corrections.

The policy was not statutory requirement but was considered good practice.