ANIMAL WELFARE ACT 1992 - SECT 55 Decision about circus or travelling zoo permit application
ANIMAL WELFARE ACT 1992 - SECT 55
Decision about circus or travelling zoo permit application(1) On an application by a person for a circus or travelling zoo permit, the authority must—
(a) grant the permit; or
(b) refuse to grant the permit.
(2) For an application for a circus permit, the authority must not grant a circus permit in relation to a circus if a prohibited animal is to form part of the circus troupe, whether or not the animal is to be used in the circus.
(3) For an application for a travelling zoo permit, the authority must not grant a travelling zoo permit in relation to a zoo if a prohibited animal is to travel with the zoo, whether or not the animal is to be used in the zoo.
(4) In deciding whether to grant the circus or travelling zoo permit, the authority must consider—
(a) the experience and competency of the applicant, and the applicant's employees and agents, in caring for and handling animals; and
(b) the adequacy of the conditions under which the animals are to be housed, trained, transported or used; and
(c) the adequacy of the facilities to be provided for the animals; and
(d) the applicant's response (or lack of response) to any request for further information under section 54 (4); and
(e) whether the applicant has obtained and kept in force any necessary licences under the Nature Conservation Act 2014
; and
(f) whether the applicant has, within the 3 years immediately before the date of the application, been convicted or found guilty of a defined offence; and
(g) any criteria prescribed by regulation.
(5) Subsection (4) does not limit the matters that the authority may consider.
(6) In this section:
"applicant "includes, if the applicant is a corporation, each executive officer of the corporation.
"grant "includes grant by way of renewal.
"renewal", of a circus or travelling zoo permit, means the grant of the permit that is to begin on the day after the day the permit being renewed ends.