The council's Public Protection department is responsible for administering the majority of the unitary authority's licensing and registration functions, including premises, taxis, animal welfare and charitable collections. We aim to provide a high quality licensing and enforcement service which maintains and enhances the quality of life for those who live, work in or visit Thurrock.

The objectives of licensing can be varied, depending on the particular licensing regime. These can be to promote public safety; comfort and decency; consumer protection; financial probity; animal welfare and the control of betting. Also, to prevent crime and disorder, unreasonable disturbances and the transmission of disease.

Licence and registration types

Licence	Description
Animal boarding establishments licence	If you run a boarding kennel or cattery, you need a licence
Approved food premises	If you operate certain food premises you may need to be approved by your local authority
Camping site licence	To allow public camping on your land, you require a licence
Caravan and camping site licence	To run a caravan and camping site you need a licence
Club premises certificate	To authorise the supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment in a qualifying club, you need a certificate
Consent to deposit items or carry out temporary excavations in the street	To temporarily deposit items in the street or make an excavation you must have consent
Cooling tower notification	You must notify your local authority of a cooling tower or evaporative condenser
Dangerous wild animals licence	Application for a licence to keep dangerous wild animal(s)
Dog breeding establishment licence	Application for a licence to keep a dog breeding establishment
Environmental permit	If you operate a regulated facility you must have an environmental permit
Explosives licence	Application for registration of premises to store explosives
Food premises registration	To store, prepare, distribute or sell food you need to be registered
Gaming machines licence	Applications for a permit for the use of machines for gaming
Hackney carriage driver	Application for a hackney carriage driver's licence
Hackney carriage vehicle licence	Application for a hackney carriage vehicle licence
House in multiple occupancy (HMO) licence	Licensing of HMOs
House-to-house collections licence	To make house-to-house collections for charitable purposes you need a licence
Hypnotism authorisation	If you perform hypnotism acts, you must be authorised
Lotteries registration	Application for registration of a society to conduct lotteries
Pavement licence	To place furniture on the pavement you need a licence
Performing animals registration	You must be registered to train or use performing animals
Pet shop licence	To run a business selling pet animals, you need a licence
Petroleum licence	To store and dispense petrol directly into the fuel tank of an internal combustion engine, you need a licence
Poisons registration	Application to be listed as entitled to sell non-medicinal poisons
Premises approval for marriage or civil ceremonies	Approval of premises for weddings or civil ceremonies
Premises licence (alcohol and entertainment)	To provide late-night refreshments, regulated entertainment, and sell alcohol, you need a licence
Private hire driver's licence	Application for a private hire driver's licence
Private hire operator's licence	Application for a private hire operators licence
Private hire vehicle licence	Application for a private hire vehicle licence
Riding establishment licence	To run a riding establishment in you need a licence
Safety certificate for sports stands	If you operate a sports ground, you must have a safety certificate for any stand that holds more than 500 spectators.
Scrap metal dealers registration	To be a scrap metal dealer, you need to register
Sex shop and cinema licence	To run a sex shop or place where explicit films are shown you need a licence
Skip permit	To put a builder's skip on a public road, you need a permit
Special treatment licence (personal)	If you run an establishment for 'special treatments' in you may require a licence
Special treatment licence (premises)	If you provide special treatments you may require a licence
Sports ground safety certificate	You may be required to hold a safety certificate for your sports ground
Street collection licence	To collect money or sell articles, you require a licence
Street trader's licence	If you trade in the street you will require a licence
Street works licence	An application is required for the right to excavate a highway
Temporary event notice	If you wish to hold an ad-hoc event, you must give a temporary event notice
Track betting licence	A licence is required by anyone carrying on bookmaking on any betting track
Weighbridge operator's licence	To operate a public weighbridge, you require a certificate of competence
Zoo licence	To run a zoo, you need a licence
Animal movement licence	Movements of sheep, goats, cattle, deer, pigs may take place under general licence
Highway projection licence	Any display/temporary construction that protrudes/projects over a public highway
Motor salvage operator registration	Application for registration as a motor salvage operator
Skin piercing registration	Application for registration for skin piercing activities
Skip operator licence	A licence is required to become an operator permitted to place a skip on the public highway

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Contact information

For contact details about a specific licence or registration type, please follow the relevant link above. For general advice and information, contact:

Telephone:	01375 652955
Fax:	01375 652780
Messageline:	0800 581281
E-mail:	licensing@thurrock.gov.uk
Address:	Head of Public Protection Thurrock Council Civic Offices New Road Grays Essex RM17 6SL
Opening:	8:00am to 5:00pm

Please note that our officers spend most of their time out of the office undertaking visits. Should you wish to speak to a particular member of staff or require advice of a specialist nature it is advisable to telephone or e-mail and make an appointment.

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Our service commitment

We will:

respond within 3 working days of receiving a request for our service;
be polite and helpful, giving the name of the person who will be dealing with your request;
treat you fairly and keep you informed on how your request is going;
respond to written correspondence with a written reply within 10 days;
acknowledge and investigate complaints about poor service. We will tell you in writing what happened within 10 working days;
aim to satisfy over 90% of customers using our services;
if you contact the wrong person we will try to help you reach the correct person to deal with your enquiry.

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