The Licensing & Appeals Committee of Derbyshire Dales District Council met to discuss and approve a draft Statement of Licensing Policy relating to alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment, and a draft Animal Welfare Licensing Policy. Both policies were approved for public consultation, and the Statement of Licensing Policy will be referred to the Full Council for adoption before 31 January 2026. Councillors also agreed to review changes to the council's constitution relating to the Animal Welfare Licensing Policy, prior to approval at a Full Council meeting.

Animal Welfare Licensing Policy

The committee approved the draft Animal Welfare Licensing Policy for a three-month public consultation. The policy was drafted in accordance with DEFRA guidance and sets out the principles that the Environmental Health and Licensing service will follow when dealing with activities concerning animal welfare and public safety.

The policy confirms that any dog breeding activities requiring a licence will be subject to a veterinary inspection upon granting a new licence and for renewal of existing licences. The policy also provides advice on the circumstances and arrangements for visits and inspections by vets, and confirms that the applicant will be liable for any vet fees as part of the cost recovery process.

Councillor Nick Whitehead moved for the policy to be approved for public consultation, and this was seconded by Councillor Peter Dobbs.

The committee also agreed to review changes to the council's constitution, subject to full approval from Full Council, and refer any feedback from the consultation to the Licensing and Appeals Committee in April 2026 for consideration and determination. If no feedback is received by 31 December 2025, the draft policy will be made final.

The council will consult with:

• local animal welfare charities
• local businesses with an animal welfare licence
• veterinary practices in the area
• Derbyshire Police
• Derbyshire County Council Trading Standards
• DEFRA
• elected members
• other teams within the council, such as events, legal, and community safety

Any member of the public can contact Environmental Health with comments via email or the council webpage.

With regards to licensing matters, members clarified that breeding three or more litters of puppies in a 12-month period refers to per household, not per bitch, and it was confirmed that this referred to per household.

Members asked if the council had enough trained officers to enforce the policy. The Principal Environmental Health Officer, David Cowley, said that there are currently two trained officers and one undergoing training, and that enforcement is part of the training for an Environmental Officer.

Licensing Act 2003 - Statement of Licensing Policy

The committee approved the draft Statement of Licensing Policy relating to alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment licensing, incorporating consultee comments, and agreed to refer it to Full Council for adoption before 31 January 2026.

The Licensing Manager, Grace Dowson, introduced the report, explaining that the policy sets out the principles that the Licensing Authority applies to promote the licensing objectives when making decisions on applications for new licences or variations to existing licences made under the Licensing Act 2003.

The four licensing objectives specified in the legislation are:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

The consultation on the Statement of Licensing Policy 2026 – 2031 took place between 6 June 2025 and 1 August 2025, during which the council received five responses. Points received from Community Safety and a Derbyshire Dales District Council personal licence holder were considered reasonable and were added to the draft Statement of Licensing Policy 2026 – 2031.

Councillor Joanne Linthwaite moved for the policy to be approved with the additional changes, and this was seconded by Councillor Neil Buttle.

The Derbyshire Constabulary provided a letter supporting the policy, included as Appendix 1a -Police Response.

The Licensing Manager noted that the revised guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, updated in February 2025, had been considered as part of the development of the new Statement of Licensing Policy and elements included in that guidance, such as examples of behaviours that would be considered spiking, had been introduced into the policy.

The consultation responses are listed in Appendix 1 - Consultation Comments Received Appendix 1.

Other Matters

• The minutes from the previous meeting on 20 May 2025 were approved.
• There were no declarations of interest.
• There was no public participation.