Environmental Health Licences

Licence Summary

To be a scrap metal dealer, you need to be licensed with us in accordance with the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to carry on a business as a scrap metal dealer within our areas you need a licence. A Licence will last for 3 years. Trading without a licence is a criminal offence.

There are 2 types of licence specified in the Act:

Site Licence

Sites where the licensee carries on a business as a scrap metal dealer have to be identified, and a site manager has to be named for each site. This licence allows a licensee to transport scrap metal to and from those sites within any local authority area.

Collectors Licence

This allows the licensee to operate as a collector in the areas of the issuing authority. It does not allow the collector to operate in any other local authority area, so a separate licence has to be obtained from each council the collector wishes to collect waste in. The licence does not authorise the licensee to operate a site; to do so they will need a site licence from the relevant local authority.

It should be noted that the dealer can only hold one type of licence with any one local authority area. They have to decide whether they are going to have a site or a mobile licence in any one area. They cannot hold both a site and a mobile collectors licence from the same council.

Do I need a collectors licence?

Links to legislation and guidance

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 

Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 Supplementary Guidance

Application Process

From 1 October 2013 all Scrap Metal Dealers have been required to make an application to be licensed in accordance with the above legislation.

The application form and accompanying guidance, see link below, will help you to complete your application.

If you require any further guidance with its completion please contact us. Please do not attend the council without having spoken to us as attendance is by appointment only. Completed  forms should be sent us by post to : Central Licensing Administration Unit, Thrapston Offices, Cedar Drive, Thrapston NN14 4LZ.

In order for us to successfully process your application you will need to ensure that you enclose:

• Completed Application Form
• 2 x Passport Photographs (For collectors only)
• A  basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check issued within the last three months.  Please ensure a basic disclosure certificate is obtained and enclosed for all directors, partners and site managers referred to on the application form. You may request a DBS check via GOV.UK
• Application Fee ( unless you have paid in advance by telephone or online)

Please Note we do not accept cash payments.

Once we have accepted your application you will receive a letter of acknowledgement.

We aim to process your application within 6-8 weeks. If your Council refuses your licence or wishes to apply conditions you have the right of appeal and you will be able to continue trading until the appeal is heard. If you wish to discuss your application with the Licensing Officer at your Council, please contact us and we will give you an officer name and number to contact.

Application Form (online applications not permitted)

Application form and accompanying guidance for a scrap metal dealer licence.

Application form to change a scrap metal dealer licence.

Failed Application Redress

Please contact us in the first instance and we will provide the name and contact details of the Licensing Officer within your local authority.

Licence Holder Redress

Please contact us in the first instance and we will provide the name and contact details of the Licensing Officer within your local authority.

Consumer Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the service you should complain to the person or service who first dealt with the matter. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive at this stage you should then complain via the formal complaints procedure for your authority which is available on the authority website.

You should receive a reply within 10 days, but if the matter is complex, or other organisations need to be contacted, it may take longer. But you will be told what action is being taken. You should give all the details of your complaint and say what you have done to try to get it put right.

If you are still unhappy after using this complaints procedure you can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Trade Associations

British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA)

International Lead Association

International Aluminium Institute

Metal Bulletin