The Licensing and General Purposes Committee of Barnet Council met on Monday 3 November 2025, approving changes to polling place arrangements and amendments to the Animal Welfare Licensing Policy. The committee also received updates on the work of Trading Standards, Commercial Environmental Health, and the Council's corporate health, safety, and wellbeing performance.

Interim Polling District and Polling Places Review

The committee approved 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 the FGGC district will move from Menorah Primary School to PAI House. This move aims to reduce inconvenience to residents and the school community while maintaining accessibility. The committee also approved the ongoing practice of conducting annual interim reviews of polling districts and places to ensure optimal arrangements.

Animal Welfare Licensing Policy (Draft) 2026-2031

Amendments to the Animal Welfare Licensing Policy were approved unanimously. These amendments included minor formatting changes and a revision to the publication date. Discussions also clarified the process for determining licence applications by a licensing subcommittee in exceptional circumstances and confirmed that the policy includes mechanisms for suspension or revocation of licences, with an emphasis on education before enforcement, depending on the contravention.

Trading Standards Mid-Year Report 2025

Yvette Lynch, Head of Counter Fraud and Trading Standards, presented a report detailing the team's activities from April to September 2025. The team handled 853 cases, including 794 new consumer complaints. Key achievements included two criminal prosecutions resulting in fines of £12,398.27, three closure orders for non-compliant businesses, and the seizure of over 16,000 illegal, counterfeit, and unsafe products with an estimated market value of £219,337.42. Fines totalling £78,000 were issued to non-compliant letting agents. The committee noted the recruitment of new staff and apprentices, and the team's work on online and home-based businesses, including website takedowns for businesses operating abroad.

Environmental Health - Commercial Health and Safety Mid-Year Report

The committee received a report summarising the work of the Health and Safety Team within Commercial Environmental Health for the period April to September 2025. The team is responsible for ensuring the safety and welfare of workers in various premises, including offices, shops, and cafes. The report highlighted that due to current vacancies, proactive health and safety inspections had not been carried out during this period, but the Food Safety Team had assisted with investigations into work-related fatalities. The team is in the process of recruiting to vacant posts.

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

Mike Koumi, Head of Safety, Health and Wellbeing, presented the annual report on the council's health and safety performance. The report indicated that overall incidents remained stable, with an increase in the reporting of physical assaults, particularly in special schools, attributed to a campaign to encourage reporting. The RIDDOR¹ accident incidence rate was reported as 403, which is below the public sector average. Audits showed an average compliance score of 87%, and there was an increase in the completion of essential health and safety training. The report also highlighted that work-related stress and musculoskeletal injuries remain areas for continued improvement. Discussions also covered statutory building compliance in community schools and the funding available for maintenance.

Committee Forward Work Plan

The committee noted the forward work plan for the remainder of the year.