The Licensing and General Purposes Committee of Barnet Council met on Monday 3 November 2025. The committee approved amendments to the Animal Welfare Licensing Policy and the Returning Officer's proposals for changes to polling arrangements in the Golders Green ward. The committee also noted mid-year reports from Trading Standards and Environmental Health, as well as the Annual Corporate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report.

Interim Polling District and Polling Places Review

The committee noted the representations received during the public consultation period and approved the Returning Officer's proposals for changes to polling arrangements in the Golders Green ward. The boundary between polling districts FGGB and FGGC will be amended, and the polling venue for FGGC will move from Menorah Primary School to PAI House in Alba Gardens. Councillors sought assurances regarding the long-term use and accessibility of PAI House, with officers confirming its suitability and the allocation of at least one disabled parking space. The committee also approved the ongoing practice of conducting annual interim reviews of polling districts and places to ensure ongoing improvements.

Animal Welfare Licensing Policy (Draft) 2026 - 2031

Amendments to the Animal Welfare Licensing Policy were approved. A minor update was made to the publication date, changing it from December of this year to the following year. The policy was also updated to include a mechanism for determining licence applications by a Licensing Sub Committee in exceptional circumstances, although it was noted that this is a rare occurrence. The committee also discussed the process for licence suspension and revocation, with clarification that an escalation process, including warnings, would generally be followed unless there was an imminent risk to animal welfare.

Trading Standards Mid-Year Report 2025

The committee noted and commented on the report detailing the activities of the Trading Standards team between April and September 2025. Key achievements included 853 cases dealt with, 794 of which were new consumer complaints. The team secured two criminal prosecutions, resulting in fines totalling £12,398.27 and £6,350.27 in costs awarded to the council. Three closure orders were issued for businesses with serious non-compliance, and one caution was given for the illegal supply of vapes. Over £219,000 worth of illegal, counterfeit, and unsafe products were seized, and £62,250 in fines were issued to non-compliant letting agents. Members commended the team for their work and the recruitment of new staff and apprentices. It was noted that fines and costs awarded could be reinvested into further enforcement work. The report also highlighted challenges in enforcing online businesses based overseas, mitigated by measures such as website takedowns.

Commercial Environmental Health - Health and Safety Half-Yearly Report 2025/2026

The committee noted the half-yearly report on the activities of the Commercial Environmental Health, Health & Safety Team between April and September 2025. The team is responsible for ensuring the safety and welfare of workers in various premises across the borough, excluding council-owned buildings. Members raised concerns about staffing levels and whether operations were hindered by vacancies. It was explained that the Food Safety Team, which includes qualified Environmental Health Officers, has a dual function and that incoming cases were being repurposed to ensure mandatory investigations were covered. The service is actively recruiting to fill vacant posts, but acknowledged a national shortage of suitably qualified staff in regulatory services, particularly in environmental health with a specialism in health and safety.

Annual Barnet Corporate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report 2024/25

The committee noted an update on the council's health, safety, and wellbeing performance for 2024/25. The report indicated that overall incidents remained stable, but there was an increase in the reporting of physical assaults, particularly in schools, attributed to a campaign to encourage reporting for prevention purposes. Members discussed the high number of stress-related incidents and compared them to national averages, noting that Barnet's figures were around the national average for work-related stress. The council's priorities to reduce work-related stress and musculoskeletal injuries were highlighted, along with efforts to improve statutory building compliance monitoring in community schools and enhance workplace wellbeing. Discussions also touched upon the funding for building compliance in schools, with clarification that funds refer to the delegation of responsibility and training for schools to manage their budgets effectively. For faith schools, advice and guidance are provided, but they manage their own budgets.

Committee Forward Work Plan 2025-2026

The committee noted the forward work plan for the remainder of the year. The Chair thanked the officers and members for their contributions.