# Spoke to my local...



## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

So, spoke to my local council about the DWAL and I was fobbed off to some one else. Seems the people I spoke to didnt even know what it was which is fair enough as there are no other DWAL holders in or around my local area.


so now I'm waiting to hear back from this ''other person who knows about it''

I have a feeling this could be a loong process!

I'll keep you updated.: victory:


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## Alfonzo (Mar 7, 2008)

good luck, look forward to hearing of your progress!


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## Zimey (Sep 28, 2008)

What you aiming to get?


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

the person you want is mike meecham


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

I found sending a carefully written email to my council got the best response. Im not looking to move until later this year and will probably be very late this year or next year (most likely!) when i am in place to apply for my licence to keep critters more potent than my boiga  

But in preparation for the move, i wanted to ensure the council woudlnt make life difficult for me when it came to applying! I simply would decide not to move there if it were any different..

Like you i tried calling the council and spoke to everyones secretary and their mate... so gave up and wrote a long carefully worded email with all my queries on it, got an immediate response with the right guys phone number, so i gave him a call and robert was my fathers brother :2thumb:

Just need to finish my degree, quit the current job, get a well paid job, buy a house and make a hot room.... give me 5 minutes yeah? :lol2:


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

leptophis said:


> the person you want is mike meecham


Thanks Pete I'll give that a go if my response is pants!
Also you have an email.



chondro13 said:


> I found sending a carefully written email to my council got the best response. Im not looking to move until later this year and will probably be very late this year or next year (most likely!) when i am in place to apply for my licence to keep critters more potent than my boiga
> 
> But in preparation for the move, i wanted to ensure the council woudlnt make life difficult for me when it came to applying! I simply would decide not to move there if it were any different..
> 
> ...


 Cool, I did write an email filled with as much info as I think they would need and still waiting for a reply.:2thumb:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

STReptiles said:


> Cool, I did write an email filled with as much info as I think they would need and still waiting for a reply.:2thumb:


Wow, your LA sucks :Na_Na_Na_Na: :lol2:

Seriously im sure they wont be too long in getting back to you, good luck! :2thumb:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

don't they just have an application process?

a form to fill out to get the ball rolling?

you have to beg them to get a permit?

is a driver's license that way?... jeez!

i bet they pay attention when you're in violation...

go over their heads if they ignore you... make them do their job...


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

chondro13 said:


> Wow, your LA sucks :Na_Na_Na_Na: :lol2:
> 
> Seriously im sure they wont be too long in getting back to you, good luck! :2thumb:


 It was only two days ago so I'm still calm:whistling2:


HABU said:


> don't they just have an application process?
> 
> a form to fill out to get the ball rolling?
> 
> ...


 Thats what I have included in the email, asking for the relevent papers to fill out. I have an outbuilding to use, very small but it will be fine for what I want to keep! Just needs insulating and a lick of paint and its ready to go, oh and a good coded lock!


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Still no reply:devil:


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Zimey said:


> What you aiming to get?


 Mainly arboreal viper sp and a few terrestrial vipers too, no elapids.


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

leptophis said:


> the person you want is mike meecham


 I havent had any replies yet, do you have Mike Meecham's email or contact number?

Thanks.


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

STReptiles said:


> Thats what I have included in the email, asking for the relevent papers to fill out. I have an outbuilding to use, very small but it will be fine for what I want to keep! Just needs insulating and a lick of paint and its ready to go, oh and a good coded lock!


Sucks they still havent gotten back to you! Although they may not bother if you are asking for papers to apply already if you havent got your room sorted out first if that makes sense? 

I was lucky enough to speak to a very laid back chap at my soon-to-be Local authority, who was happy to go through the process with me as if i was applying immediately so to speak, but you really cant do anything at all in regards to applying unless you have the room 100% ready to go. 

I wouldnt waste any more time waiting around for paperwork to arrive, id get stuck in on the physical project :mf_dribble: it has to be done sooner or later after all, might as well save yourself some time while the politics is dragging its heels : victory:


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## Richmonds Reptiles (Mar 27, 2010)

I would wait at least two weeks for a reply before chasing it up to be honest mate, I work for my local council and they took that long to get back to me about mine through internal e-mail, that said they should have minimum response time to at least acknowledge your e-mail as a memeber of the public e.g. 5 days before then having for example two further weeks to deal with the query. 

Mine have fobbed it off to environmental health who are dealing with it well but still not giving me the answers I have asked for. They have basically said that there are no set procedures in place and it needs compleetely overhauling!


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

chondro13 said:


> Sucks they still havent gotten back to you! Although they may not bother if you are asking for papers to apply already if you havent got your room sorted out first if that makes sense?
> 
> I was lucky enough to speak to a very laid back chap at my soon-to-be Local authority, who was happy to go through the process with me as if i was applying immediately so to speak, but you really cant do anything at all in regards to applying unless you have the room 100% ready to go.
> 
> I wouldnt waste any more time waiting around for paperwork to arrive, id get stuck in on the physical project :mf_dribble: it has to be done sooner or later after all, might as well save yourself some time while the politics is dragging its heels : victory:


 To be fair its only a days work, painting the room white, fitting a lock and fixing a sheet of plaster board to the ceiling will take a day or two at most. I'll most probably get it done this weekend, but still no reply so by the looks of it I have plenty of time anyway.: victory:


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

I phoned my council and they came out within a couple of days and had a look at my proposal then it took me a few weeks to sort out the room then told them it was ready and had the vet inspection within a couple of weeks and within a week of the inspection it was done. I find actually going to see the licencing officer face to face far better as they see you are serious and not just messing about. Make regular calls to keep them updated and see where you are with the applicaqtion. if you have your room ready it should take no more than a couple of weeks to go through. once you have had your vet inspection and he passes it then its just a case of the LA getting his letter of recomendation/ approval and thats it its done. I have heard a few people say it takes ages and the process is long winded but most of the people i know who actually have licences say that they have been dealt with fairly quickly and the hold ups are usually down to the applicant.


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## andy2086 (Dec 26, 2008)

Best of luck with the application! :2thumb:

From start to finish mine took about 4 months. After the 1st visit, I had to keep chasing the council & all they said was they were waiting for the reports back from the vet's visit (later found out he'd gone out of the country so too even longer!). Once my room was sorted, & after various emails & phonecalls chasing again, I eventually got my 2nd visit & all was good.

Might have taken longer then other peoples applications but it was worth the wait : victory:


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

leecb0 said:


> I phoned my council and they came out within a couple of days and had a look at my proposal then it took me a few weeks to sort out the room then told them it was ready and had the vet inspection within a couple of weeks and within a week of the inspection it was done. I find actually going to see the licencing officer face to face far better as they see you are serious and not just messing about. Make regular calls to keep them updated and see where you are with the applicaqtion. if you have your room ready it should take no more than a couple of weeks to go through. once you have had your vet inspection and he passes it then its just a case of the LA getting his letter of recomendation/ approval and thats it its done. I have heard a few people say it takes ages and the process is long winded but most of the people i know who actually have licences say that they have been dealt with fairly quickly and the hold ups are usually down to the applicant.


Thanks Lee.

Well I still havent had any reply so I'll call them tomorrow and see if I can get a number of someone who is able to talk to me about it. The room is painted and has the lock fitted just needs the ceiling doing as snakes could escape at the moment which I'll do this weekend. I have a small brick building, more of a large shed. As you go in the door you will be in a perspex cube with a perspex door on it, the outer main door is solid wood. I'm not going to be able to keep a great deal of snakes due to size but that isnt a problem for me, I'll be keeping arboreal vipers only and the exception of a few terrestrial vipers like gaboon's and a few others. 
Whats the crack with using exo-terra vivs to house small arboreal vipers? am I likely to be aloud to use them? Not a problem if not its just I have seen them in other venomous collections and due to the space it would be better for me.

Thanks all!


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

as long as the vivarium is escape proof then there should be no problems. As far as i am aware the exo terra can be locked with one of there locks, but depending on your room, ie how warm you can keep it you will have a problem with heat escaping through the glass unless you insulate it. If you are set on having a glass tank take a look at the new ferplas ones they are a bit more expensive but they come with locks and have sliding glass doors and the tops seem to be far better and have intigtated heater guards. I think they are the dogs.
But my arborial vivs were osb which was then coated in g4 or v8 pond paint. It makes them totally waterproof and last for years, also has the added benifit of keeping the heat and humidity.


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## tigersnake (Sep 30, 2007)

If Mike Meecham is your local environmental officer, you will not get away with exo-terra, also, you will need to double lock your vivs.
Cheers,
Brian.


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

tigersnake said:


> If Mike Meecham is your local environmental officer, you will not get away with exo-terra, also, you will need to double lock your vivs.
> Cheers,
> Brian.


 Thanks Brian.


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