11/11/2025
An update on the Bristol City Council proposed license fees (sorry another very long post!)….
These were paused a month or so ago after backlash with no updates or recent public consultation in what is to be planned are due to be brought in, in early 2026. When Becca asked the full council meeting last week, why a recent public consultation wasn’t being done last week in line with BCC’s policies on change and decision making, she was told a public consultation and plan had been agreed in 2018.
Ignoring, the interpretation of ‘recent’, here is a link to said plan that they directed us to:- https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=3089
There are a few big documents here but fortunately we love a bit of bedtime reading so to highlight a couple of points from the final report this:- https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/documents/s21388/Appendix%20A%20-%20ParksGreenSpaces%20savings%20cabinet%20report.pdf .....
It states on page 2/3 that they will “Introduce new, competitive fees”
They are 2-5 times higher than other non- London local authorities and 4-9 times higher if you walk in more than one park. Arm bands are also transferrable. For example, if currently we purchase a permit for a dog walker and they stay with us less than a year then we are unable to transfer that permit to an alternative dog walker. We have to pay another extortionate fee. We have some walkers that will generate a couple of £100 a year income from this, this makes a fee of £450 a year for one park and £900 for multiple parks per walker not even worth considering obtaining a permit for. This must be issued per company and then additional arm bands issued to the company for extra walkers as per other local authorities.
It states on page 8 that “The proposal is to charge 10% of the gross income from the activity as the site fee for using the green spaces. E.g. a once-a week bootcamp class charging £5 for 12 attendees would have an annual fee of £288 (£2,880 income from the parks activity); a dog walker walking 30 dogs a day, £5 a dog, 5 days a week would have an annual fee of £3,600 (£36,000 income from the parks activity); [based on 48 weeks a year operation]; a balloon operator taking 12 people, £100 each would have a fee per flight of £120 (based on income of £1200 per flight). It should be noted that professional dog walk companies will be approached to secure agreements, so that domestic dog walkers will not be disturbed.”
Unfortunately dog walkers don’t tend to make 10% profit based on their current fees they charge and not many dog walkers walk anywhere near 30 dogs a day- most of our walkers don’t even walk this many a month and yet the charges and permits will be per walker and non- transferable should a dog walker leave. This proposal forces dog walking services to be more commercialised, less about the dogs and more about the money. They go against everything dog walkers do the job for.
Cllr Williams went against the ‘recent’ public consultation report and last week at the full council meeting stated (around 29 and 35 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv5ENPBALdo that it was too complicated and difficult to enforce to charge different fees for different types of businesses.
The plan in this report was to make £55k/ year from small businesses (pg. 2) however in the full council meeting last week, Cllr Williams said (around 29 and 35 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv5ENPBALdo it was now not planned to make anywhere close to this, just a very token amount that wouldn’t be important to BCCs budget next year. “It is the licensing that is important not the fee” – while we agree to an extent, the fee has to be affordable enough to not shut people’s business!
“As proposals are developed further they will be communicated with local communities. For example, if an income generating activity is proposed within a park and is using parks space, consultation will take place with the local community to ensure that any negative impacts on equalities communities are understood and mitigated.”https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/documents/s21390/Appendix%20E%20-%20ParksGreenSpaces%20EqIA%20Full%20Form.pdf pg.3
“The group were informed there would be further consultations taking place on a number of the finer details. They request that they are made fully aware of these and that all local stakeholders and groups are able to engage in them because this will be the point at which most changes will be understood more widely. The process and work already done needs to transparent to ensure the plans are fully understood by those who have not been engaged to date.” https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/documents/g3089/Public%20reports%20pack%2001st-May-2018%2016.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10 pg. 7
We are yet to see any further consultation or transparency with the local communities in which these fees impact.
Whilst most responsible businesses welcome the introduction of a permit and associated fee for using Bristol parks, in its current form and the ideology conjured up in the ‘recent’ public consultation, the fees are so far unaffordable that not only businesses can’t pay them (that is can’t not won’t) Bristol City Council doesn’t benefit financially at all.
What can you do to help?
1. Try and get support from your local councillor if you live in Bristol. Three conservative councillors (Cllr Mark Weston, Cllr Richard Eddy and Cllr Bador Uddin) are the only ones who have supported us in this campaign recently, others don’t respond or don’t actively do anything like ask questions in council meetings. It would be great for others and other parties to support us, our clients, our fellow dog walkers and park users. You can find your councillor here https://www.bristol.gov.uk/council/councillors-and-the-lord-mayor/find-your-councillor . If you want some help writing a letter to them then please email us on [email protected] and we will help you put something together.
2. If you live or work in Bristol please sign this petition- https://c.org/Q7dHyC8XHK
We currently have around 4500 signatures however only around 3000 of these are people living and/ or working in Bristol. Only Bristol based signatures count. We have enough for this to be discussed at policy committee (1500) but need 3500 local signatures for it to be discussed at full council. Please, please sign and share this petition everywhere in Bristol.
The proposed fees will have detrimental effects on dogs, small businesses, people’s physical and mental health, community groups using the parks, people using the parks and wildlife in the parks (according to Avon Wildlife trust page (pg. 24 https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/documents/g3089/Public%20reports%20pack%2001st-May-2018%2016.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10). Bristol City Council will also miss out on much needed extra funding until the fees are made much more affordable.
Even if you don’t live in Bristol please sign and share this as if we get enough signatures we are able to take this to the central government.
3. If you have questions or a point you need to highlight (kindly!) for the policy committee that are proposing these fees submit a question or statement here https://digital.bristol.gov.uk/council/how-council-decisions-are-made/submit-a-question-or-statement-for-a-council-meeting please note these need to be in early next week for next weeks meeting or they won’t be submitted.
4. You can attend the policy committee next Friday 21st November 9.30am. More information on attending here https://www.bristol.gov.uk/council/how-council-decisions-are-made/council-meetings .
Thanks for taking the time to read this far, this is so important to many people's livelihoods in Bristol City as well as Dog's Welfare and other park users. To hear more tune in to hear Becca talk to Heart FM tomorrow about it.
