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liquor and further, to introduce rules to control licensed
premises and purposes connected therewith. There were two
operative dates involved, namely, 1st November, 1961 and the 1st
March, 1962, and the Council's duties under the Act are twofold.
The first is in respect of the suitability of premises for the purpose
in view (Section 27, sub-section (b)), and secondly, their conformity
with the Town and Country Planning Acts.
The question of suitability of premises is referred to the Public
Health Department and, in practice, objections are most likely to
arise from insufficient or unsuitable sanitary accommodation or
from breaches of the Food Hygiene Regulations.
During the year, 23 applications for renewal of registration
as licensed premises were made involvinginspections by the Public
Health Inspectors. All were considered satisfactory for their particular purposes.
Pet Animals Act, 1951.—This Act, introduced to regulate the
sale of pet animals with particular reference to their welfare prior
to sale, became operative from 1st April, 1952, since when it became
an offence to keep a pet shop except under licence from the Local
Authority.
The Act defines "the keeping of a pet shop" as the carrying
on at premises of any nature (including a private dwelling) of a
business of selling animals as pets and as including the keeping of
animals in such premises with a view to their being sold in the
course of such business, whether by the keeper thereof or by any
other person. The term "animal" includes any form of vertebrate.
"Premises" includes any stall or barrow in a market but not any
stall elsewhere or any part of a street or public place.
Licences, renewable annually, are issued on payment of 10/and
are valid to the 31st December of each year.
At the end of the year two licences were in operation and 5
inspections were carried out by the Public Health Inspectors in
connection with the issuing of such licences.
Land Charges Act, 1925.—Under this Act, enquiries in
respect of properties in the Borough are received from time to time
by the Town Clerk concerning outstanding Notices served under
the Public Health, Housing and Rent Acts and whether such
properties are affected by any Smoke Control Area Orders, existent
or proposed.
During the year 1,265 reports on such enquiries were forwarded
to the Town Clerk's department.