Agenda and minutes

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The Committee noted the meeting was being livestreaming.  

The Committee noted the evacuation and housekeeping procedure.  

There were no declarations of interest. 

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 18 May 2026

AGREED the minutes of the meeting held on 18 May be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider the Action Plan for Agreed Recommendations

The Strategic Finance Manager presented an action plan setting out how the agreed recommendations from the Scrutiny Review of Governance of Capital Projects would be implemented and target dates for completion. There were five recommendations, which included reviewing financial delegations, Cabinet report guidance and templates, and the approach to member engagement in relation to capital projects. There was also a commitment to carry out an officer review of the governance structure, reporting back to the Committee in January 2027.

A date for when refreshing the Concordat for Communication and Consultation with Councillors would be completed was requested. The Finance Officer would discuss with the Monitoring Officer and circulate a date to the Committee.

The Committee thanked the officer for the action plan.

AGREED that:

• the Action Plan be approved
• a deadline date for refreshing the Concordat for Communication and Consultation with Councillors be circulated
• a progress update be provided in January 2027.

The Committee received three reports for their review of Animal Welfare, Kennelling, and Protection of Pets. The Licensing Officer presented a report outlining the role and responsibilities of the Licensing Team regarding animals and how it supported animal welfare. The key points highlighted were:

• The Service was responsible for a range of activities involving animals under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 which included dog breeding, selling animals as pets, animal boarding and day care for dogs, hiring horses e.g. riding schools, and keeping or training animals for exhibition.
• The Service carried out a number of proactive measures such as pre-application advice and site visits. They also carried out assessments of suitability and competence and compliance as part of the application process. They ensured that operators were competent, trained and fit and proper to carry out their business, and that premises were safe, suitable and hygienic for the animals.
• Licences were granted for one, two or three years. Star ratings were given to licenced operators, and the length of licences given depended on the star rating of an operator, with lower star rated operators granted shorter licences. The star rating system not only gave transparency and assurance to the public but also encouraged operators to improve, driving up standards. In 2025-26 there were 83 licensed premises for animal activity and there were no one star operators in the Borough.
• Inspections took place at initial application and again roughly halfway through the licence, as well as unannounced compliance visits.
• The Service investigated complaints on both licenced operators and unlicenced activity. Enforcement actions that could be taken included refusing licenses, suspending licenses, formal warnings, improvement notices, reduction of star ratings or, for serious breaches, prosecution. Unlicensed activity mainly included dog breeding, as well as home boarding, where people were generally unaware of the legislation for this activity, and organised criminal activity.
• 133 inspections, investigations and advisory visits were carried out in 2025-26.
• The Service had a joined-up approach, working with colleagues from the Animal Welfare Team and Environmental Health as well as the RSPCA and veterinary professionals.
• Inspecting officers must be qualified inspectors, with the training included practical assessments. Any further updates on the training were also undertaken, e.g. primates training was carried out by one officer in November 2025 and the information and material was cascaded to other officers in the team.
• Dog walking was currently not included in the legislation however this was being discussed at a national level.

Capacity within the team was discussed with the Licensing Officer informing that there were three officers who were trained in this area of work, however other officers could be trained if needed.

Primate training was raised. A licence was needed to own a monkey, however there had been no applications for this licence in the borough, and the Service was not aware of any person who owned a monkey.

The list of fees for licenses was requested, along with clarification on whether these fees covered the  ...  view the full minutes text for item PLA/18/26

Consideration was given to the Work Programme.

Site visits to kennels used by Stockton Borough Council Animal Welfare and Adult Social Care services for the Scrutiny Review of Animal Welfare were discussed and it was agreed that these would be arranged.

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AGREED the work programme be noted and site visits arranged.