The Port Health & Environmental Services Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss a variety of topics, including proposed fee increases for the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre, a mid-year update on the Environment Department's business plan, and an update on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The committee was also scheduled to review and make decisions on the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre's byelaws.

Heathrow Animal Reception Centre Fees

The committee was scheduled to consider a report regarding the annual review of fees for the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC). The City of London Corporation has statutory duties under the Animal Health Act 1981, which are delivered through the Animal Health and Welfare Service (AHWS). These duties include rabies controls for Greater London and the protection of animal welfare in transport. HARC delivers services to airlines and pet transport agents in order to generate income and offset the cost of these statutory obligations.

The report recommended increases of between 5% and 20% to the schedule of charges for services provided at HARC. The report also noted that the inspection fees for the Animal Health Team are based on the estimated duration of each type of inspection, and that the average proposed increase for the forthcoming financial year 2026/27 is 6%.

The report stated that approval was also being sought to introduce higher fees for services delivered to airlines which do not use HARC for all of their live animal throughput into Heathrow. According to the report, airlines that use an alternative Border Control Post (BCP) for pet animal imports, and only use HARC for species that the alternative BCP cannot handle, should be charged at a higher rate for those services. These airlines are referred to as non-HARC airlines in the report.

The report outlined three options for the committee to consider:

• Option i: Retain the same schedule of fees for all airlines and retain the pricing within the current byelaws. This option was not recommended.
• Option ii: Retain the same schedule of fees to be applied to all airlines, and approve the price increases as listed in appendix 1, column B, as effective from 1st April 2026. This option was also not recommended.
• Option iii: In addition to the adjusted fees for HARC airlines presented in column B, introduce higher fees for non-HARC airlines, allowing improved cost recovery for those activities. Approve the byelaws as listed in appendix 1, columns B and C, as effective from 1st April 2026. This option was recommended.

The report stated that the City Solicitor had reviewed the statutory obligations and related fees and charges, and advised that there was no legal reason why the fee structure could not be changed to prevent subsidy and promote fair cost recovery.

Environment Department Business Plan 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to receive a mid-year update on the Environment Department's Business Plan 2025/26¹. The report summarised key performance information and included a budget monitoring update. The report covered the following service areas:

• Port Health and Public Protection
• The Cleansing Service

The report stated that good progress had been made against delivery of all workstreams during the first six months of the year. The high-level Business Plan sets out the priority workstreams for 2025-30 for all service areas that report to the committee, and that all workstreams support the delivery of the Corporate Plan 2024-29 outcomes, and other cross-cutting strategies and programmes.

The priority workstreams listed in the report were:

• Deliver an environmentally enhanced City, including delivery of the Air Quality Strategy 2025-30[^3], the Circular Economy Framework[^4]; and the Cleansing Service. [^3]: The Air Quality Strategy 2025-30 aims to deliver cleaner air and improved health for residents, workers and visitors. [^4]: The Circular Economy Framework aims to promote more efficient use of resources through a circular economy and an increase in environmental resilience.
• Protect and promote Public, Animal and Environment Health and Consumer Protection, covering delivery of the Port Health and Public Protection Division's statutory services.
• Ensure provision of appropriate facilities to enable delivery of services, including a strategic review of operational facilities such as the Cemetery and Crematorium, public conveniences, Port Health Service accommodation, Heathrow Animal Reception Centre, and Walbrook Wharf.
• Financial security and development, focusing on consideration of commercial development opportunities and adaption of services to meet the needs of customers and optimise income.

The report also included information on the Environment Department's Safe365 maturity rating, which had increased from 62% to 63% over the last six months.

Risk Management Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a risk management update. The report provided assurance that risk management procedures in place within the Environment Department are satisfactory and meet the requirements of the corporate Risk Management Framework.

The report stated that risk is reviewed regularly within each service area as part of the ongoing management of operations, and that a process exists for in-depth periodic review of the risk register.

The key risks managed by the following service areas were considered in the report:

• Port Health and Public Protection
• The Cleansing Service

The register of key risks held by the Port Health and Public Protection Division and the City Operation Division's Cleansing Service includes one departmental level risk (Air Quality) and three service level risks, as summarised below:

• ENV-SLT 005 Air Quality: The score has reduced from Red 16 to Green 3, reflecting the CoL's long-term commitment to improving air quality in the City.
• ENV-PHPP 001 Border controls – Impact on Port Health and Animal Health: The risk remains high (Red 24) due to continued uncertainties with the new regime and the new Government desire for a closer relationship with the EU, including discussions regarding a future veterinary agreement with the EU.
• ENV-CO-GC 002 - Road traffic collision caused by City of London staff or contractor who is unfit to drive while on City business: A manual system has been put in place, but the software is now due to be replaced as part of the new Corporate ERP system (SAP), which is hoped to resolve the issues in time.
• ENV–CO-GC 006 - A major incident, such as flooding or fire, makes Walbrook Wharf unusable as a depot: This risk remains at a score of Amber 8. A robust Business Continuity Plan is in place.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and any implications for the City of London Corporation. The bill aims to create the first smoke-free generation by ensuring children born in 2009 or later can never be legally sold tobacco. It also includes provisions to make vaping less attractive and accessible to children and young people, strengthen smoke-free restrictions, and strengthen enforcement around the sale of tobacco and vaping products.

The report stated that the City of London Corporation will be in scope of the Bill both as a local weights and measures (Trading Standards) authority and as a licensing authority. As a licensing authority, the City of London Corporation would administer applications, renewals, suspensions and revocations and could attach conditions to licences. As Trading Standards, the City of London Corporation will enforce elements of the new penalties for unlicensed selling or breaches of licence conditions which could include fixed penalties and higher fines through the courts for offences such as underage sales, packaging and advertising.

The report noted that all of these responsibilities introduce additional finance, skills and resource burden implications for the licensing and trading standards authorities in establishing and discharging these new additional functions.