A new licensing scheme for scrap metal dealers is to be adopted by Bath & North East Somerset Council, as part of a change in the law across England and Wales.
Anyone collecting scrap metal in Bath and the surrounding areas will now have to hold a licence issued by the Council, and for the first time, licences can be refused or revoked.
It is hoped the new laws will help to clamp down on the estimated 1,000 metal thefts a week in the UK which cost the country around £220 million a year.
Councilor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Over the past few years there has been a rise in metal theft as the scrap value of metal has increased.
“This theft affects everyone; from the stealing of cables that delay train journeys to theft of church roofs and drain covers.
“Scrap metal dealers who want to operate in the Bath & North East Somerset Council area now need to be licensed and traders will have to satisfy the Council that they are suitable and that they abide by the strict new rules.”
The new rules apply to both scrap metal sites and door-to-door collectors and include a ban on paying for scrap metal in cash and a requirement for dealers to verify the identity of the seller.
It is now an offence for dealers to make ‘no questions asked’ cash payments which help metal thieves and rogue dealers.
For further information, or for help on applying for the new licenses, email the Council’s licensing team at [email protected] or call 01225 477531.
