Local authorities have the power to better regulate these industries by providing a power to refuse to grant a licence and revoke licences if the dealer is considered 'unsuitable'.
Unsuitability will be based on a number of factors including any relevant criminal convictions.
Local authorities and police officers have suitable powers of entry and inspection.
These include:
- Requiring all individuals and businesses to complete an enhanced application process to obtain a scrap metal dealer licence. Local authorities will have the power to turn down unsuitable applicants
- Giving local authorities the power to revoke a licence
- Requiring all sellers of metal to provide personal identification at the point of sale, which is then recorded by the scrap metal dealer
- Extending the offence of buying metal with cash to itinerant metal collectors
- New powers for the police and local authorities to enter and inspect sites
- Creating a central public register, hosted by the Environment Agency, of all individuals and businesses licensed as scrap metal dealers
- Widening the definition of a scrap metal dealer to include motor salvage operators
Apply
Apply for a scrap metal dealers licence
How to apply
- Complete the application form
- All of the relevant parts of the form must be completed, applications which are not fully completed can not be processed
- Get a basic disclosure certificate for every person listed on the application form
Applications for a collectors licence must include a passport size photograph of the applicant. A collectors licence will only be issued after photographic ID and proof of living at the address stated (utility bill etc.) have been seen and verified by the Licensing Authority. (The Licensing Authority will contact you at a later date to confirm this information)
The correct fee must accompany the application, cheques should be made payable to the London Borough of Havering. If you wish to make a payment by card, please list the telephone number you wish a member of our staff to contact you on to take the full payment.
Applications for a site licence or a collectors licence should be sent to the Licensing Team.
Please include full contact details including a contact telephone number on all applications so that any queries can be dealt with quickly, as correspondence by post may place your application outside of the date deadlines.