Applicants must give details of:

• where the zoo will be
• proposed numbers and kinds of animals to be kept
• how the animals will be housed and cared for
• staff numbers and what staff members will be doing
• expected numbers of visitors and vehicles
• zoo entrance and exit points
• how conservation conditions will be met

Applicants must ensure the zoo would not affect:

• the health and safety of local people
• local law and order
• the animals’ well-being

For new applications at least two months prior to placing an application with the council the potential zoo operator must provide in writing their intention to make an application for a zoo licence. A published notice must be placed in a locally circulating newspaper as well as a national newspaper.  A copy of this notice must also be placed with the council for public comment and at the site for easy viewing by the public.

The council may consult with Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the public, national institutions / specialists concerned with the operation of zoos in the UK and other relevant persons.

Following the consultation period an application form should be submitted together with the licence fee. For renewals an application form should be sent to East Cambridgeshire District Council six months prior to the existing licence expiring. 

An inspection is carried out by a Secretary of State appointed inspector who will produce a report of his findings. Based on the report and other considerations the council will grant or refuse to grant a zoo licence. The operator will receive a written statement of the grounds for any refusal.