Animal movements

Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Moving your livestock
  3. Apply for a licence
  4. Tacit consent
  5. If your application has failed or is refused
  6. Licence holder redress
  7. If you've got a complaint
  8. Contact details

Overview

If you keep sheep, goats or pigs, you need to be registered with DEFRA.

You need to be registered if you keep one animal as a pet, or a commercial herd or flock.

If you already keep sheep, goats or pigs and are not registered you must do so.

Moving your livestock

Before moving livestock to your holding, you need a County Parish holding number for the land where the livestock will be kept.

The holding number is a nine digit number, eg 12/345/6789: 

  • The first 2 digits relate to the county
  • The next 3 relate to the parish
  • The last 4 digits are a unique number to the keeper

To apply for a number you need to contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on 0845 603 7777.

Once you have a number you can move the livestock to your holding under a general licence.

Apply for a licence

We are currently unable to offer animal movement licence applications online at this time.

To request a licence, please contact the DEFRA Animal Health Office:

North East Animal Health Office
The Quadrant
Newburn Riverside
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE15 8NZ

Phone: 0191 229 5400

For more information, see GOV.UK: Livestock movements.

Tacit consent

Tacit consent is where an application is treated as accepted if a reply is not recieved within a certain timeframe.

Tacit consent does apply.

Once we have received all of the documentation to support your application we will process your application within 5 working days.

If you have not heard from us within 5 working days then you will be able to act as though your application is granted.

If your application has failed or is refused

Please contact the Environmental Health Team on environmental.healthmailbox@southtyneside.gov.uk.

Licence holder redress

Please contact the Environmental Health Team on environmental.healthmailbox@southtyneside.gov.uk.

If you've got a complaint

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made by you to the trader - preferably in the form of a letter or email (with proof of delivery).

If that has not worked contact the Environmental Health Service on 0191 424 7922.

Contact details

For further information or clarification please contact:

Environmental Health
Town Hall and Civic Offices
Westoe Road
South Shields
NE33 2RL

Tel: 0191 424 7922
Fax: 0191 424 7930
Email: environmental.healthmailbox@southtyneside.gov.uk