Licences and Registration

A number of trade activities require a licence in order to be fully compliant with the law. Trading Standards Officers are responsible for licensing some of these businesses on behalf of the Council.

The following list gives a very brief summary of our licensing role within the Council - for further details about these issues please contact Us:-

• Petroleum
• Animal Health
• Consumer Credit
• Animal Feeds
• Fireworks & Explosives
• Poisons

Issues such as taxis, alcohol sales, gaming machines, street collections and skips and scaffolding etc are not a Trading Standards responsibility - for information about these licences please contact the Council's Licensing Team

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Petroleum

• We licence all premises where petroleum is stored for dispensing into vehicles, including garages, filling stations and other private stores.

Legislation:

Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928
Petroleum (Transfer of Licences) Act 1936

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To view a list of our current fees and charges click here

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Animal Health

• During outbreaks of certain animal diseases (Foot and Mouth, Swine Fever etc) we are responsible for issuing livestock movement licences.

• We also issue licences for performing animals.

Legislation:

Animal Health Act 1981
European Communities Act 1972
Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925

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Consumer Credit

• All businesses that offer credit, together with credit brokers and others in the financial market, must obtain a Consumer Credit Licence. These are issued by the
  Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

  However, we are consulted by the OFT about the trading history of each applicant in North Somerset to ensure they meet certain criteria.

Legislation:

Consumer Credit Act 1974

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Animal Feeds

• Anyone involved in the animal feed business, including importers, manufactuers, transporters, wholesalers and those mixing feed or feeding farm livestock, must register with their local authority.

  They will be issued with a unique registration number
  that will be required by assurance schemes and other enforcement agencies.

European Communities Act 1972
Feed Hygiene Regulations (EC 183/2005)
Feed (Hygiene and Enforcement)(England) Regulations 2005

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Fireworks and Explosives

• We register and inspect all premises that store up to 2,000Kg (2 tonnes)(NEQ*) of explosives, including fireworks, that do not require an Explosives Certificate.

  This includes retail premises as well as
  wholesalers and fireworks display companies.

• Information on the licensing and storage of explosives in any other circumstances can be obtained from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

• We also issue the additional licence that is required for premises to sell fireworks all year round.

Legislation:

Explosives Acts 1875, 1923, 1951 and 1964
Fireworks Act 2003
Fireworks Regulations 2004

*NEQ = Net Explosive Quantity

To view a list of our current fees and charges click here

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Poisons

• We licence all persons (and their deputies) who sell poisons, by retail, specified in Part II of the 'Poisons List'.

  This includes certain bleaches, chemical toilet products, pesticides, drain cleaners and a
  range of other chemicals above a given strength.

Legislation:

Poisons Act 1972
Poisons Rules 1982
Poisons List 1982

To view a list of our current fees and charges click here

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North Somerset Council, Trading Standards Service, Somerset House, Oxford Street, Weston super Mare, Somerset, BS23 1TG
Telephone: 01275 884118    Fax: 01275 888683
Electronic Mail: trading.standards@n-somerset.gov.uk