Hi guys i was wandering what would it take to open my small holding to the public i live in cornwall and i have alot of birds and farm animals and would love people to come in and look around.
I would say that you would have to apply to your local council for a zoo licence,and be able to provide amply car parking for any visitors,and prove that it will not cause any traffic issues on the roads with cars queing to get on to the car park.
agreed, go see/contact the local council and ask what you need to do. They will be able to tell you which licences you need (there are bound to be loads of them!) and what sort of regulations you need to adhere to. Also bear in mind you will probably need to provide - or at least it may be advisable to provide - toilet facilities etc.
This probably sounds very discouraging, but you will need to consider public liability insurance too. It might be possible to start in a small way with one or two open days on Bank Holiday weekends or giving educational visits for school parties. But you'll still need to consult you local authority first. Alan
As you are in Cornwall, I suggest that you contact the people who run the Tortoise Sanctuary / Tortoise Garden for advice, their story is an unfortunate one, I have been their twice in my time and the last time we visited 6 or 7 years ago we came away with one of their young after being given the scrutiny of how to look after a young and then adult Mediterranean Spur Thighed tortoise ( I wish pet shops where as keen to make sure they are selling to the people who can keep them properly). The Tortoise Garden in the last few years had to close to the public as they don’t have a zoo licence, if I recall it was more than just a zoo licence there where other issues too which all linked in together to make it financially unrealistic for them to remain open to the public. Read about them and maybe contact them for advice. http://www.thetortoisegarden.co.uk/
