Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all those in attendance and introductions were made.  The Chair reminded those present that the meeting was being recorded and would be made available following the meeting via the Council’s website – Click Here to View

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest made at the beginning or during the course of the meeting.

The Legal Advisor to the Sub Committee outlined the procedure for the meeting, including the order of representations and the opportunities for all parties to ask questions. 

Mrs Sandra Lewis-Williams (Senior Licensing Officer) presented the report and outlined the application submitted by Miss Angelique Thomas and Mrs Jennie Thomas, trading as Springfield Boarding Kennels and Cattery, Penpedairheol Farm, Pontllanfraith for the renewal of an Animal Boarding Establishment licence.  Upon application to renew its licence for 2022, the applicant submitted a request for the Council to depart from the guidance for 3.3.4 of its adopted conditions of licence for the purposes of Commercial Dog Boarding Kennels.  Condition 3.3.4 specifically relates to the provision of communal exercise areas within a commercial dog boarding establishment, which states that “Communal facilities must not be used by more than one dog at any one time unless they are from the same household”.

Mrs Lewis-Williams highlighted that Caerphilly Council licence 3 different types of animal boarding establishments, namely Commercial Boarding, Commercial Day Boarding and Home Boarding.  Currently, Commercial Boarding is the one boarding type that does not allow use of a communal facility by more than one dog unless from the same household. 

The Sub Committee were advised that following advice from the Council’s vet, and Officers carrying out an inspection at the premises, Licensing are of the view that, subject to the 13 additional conditions being added to the licence, the applicants will be able provide a safe and secure environment for boarding dogs to take part in communal group exercise area.  Members were therefore referred to the recommendation set out in the Licensing Officer’s report, which recommended that subject to confirmation of compliance with recommended conditions as suggested by the council’s vet, the application for the licence to keep an Animal Boarding Establishment and departure from condition 3.3.4 be approved.

All parties were afforded the opportunity to ask questions of Licensing.  Clarification was sought in relation to feedback from other local authorities who run kennels in this way.  Mrs Lewis-Williams advised feedback has been received and if kennels in other authorities are permitted to allow communal exercise areas, they must be boarding at the kennels and must be allocated their own kennels.  The Legal Advisor sought clarification on the degree of involvement from the vet in making their recommendation, including if the vet undertook a site visit and if he was aware of the exercise area dimensions being proposed.  Mrs Lewis-Williams explained that the proposals had been relayed to the vet, and whilst he had not carried out a site inspection, all the necessary information had been provided to the vet, who then suggested additional conditions that were included in the Licensing report. 

Representations were then invited from the applicant, Miss Angelique Thomas, who summarised her application and explained the reason she was seeking removal of condition number 3.3.4 was to allow her business to provide a better enrichment and socialisation experience for the dogs during their stay.  She explained that over the past  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.