Scrap Metal Dealers licence
A person carries on business as a scrap metal dealer if their business consists wholly or partly in buying or selling scrap metal. You must apply to us if you’re a scrap metal dealer in the Melton Borough area. There are two types of licence you can apply for. This is either a site licence or a mobile collector’s licence. You can only hold one type of licence with us. This licence lasts for three years.
How to apply
- Decide which licence you would like to apply for, site or collector's licence (if you are unsure, please contact the Licensing Team via licensing@melton.gov.uk for some advice)
- Complete the application form (contact the Licensing Team to have an application form sent to you) and submit this to us with your payment of the required fee (see table below).
- Basic Disclosure- you will need to submit to us a basic disclosure with your application and any person listed on the application form including the site manager (if applying for a site licence), each partner if a partnership, and, if a company, for the director(s), shadow director and company secretary. This can be applied for on the Disclosure and Barring Service website. It can take two to three weeks for a disclosure search to be returned. Please note, the basic disclosure must be within three months from its issue date when applying.
- Tax Check if required (see Tax Check for Existing Scrap Metal Dealer tab for more information)
What else do I need to do?
You will need to ensure you have the necessary permissions under the planning acts to operate your business. Please contact the Planning Team or find further advice by visiting our pages on planning permissions.
You can carry on business at any site in the council’s area which is identified in the licence. You can transport scrap metal from third party businesses by arrangement from any other local council area provided it is during the business from that site. You cannot regularly engage in collecting waste materials and old, broken, worn out or defaced articles by means of visits from door to door in the area they are licensed or elsewhere, as this would constitute carrying on a business as a mobile collector. You can collect by arrangement, for instance where a motor salvage operator is asked to transport a damaged vehicle from an address to their site.
For further information please see Scrap Metal Dealers guidance (opens in a new tab)
You can carry on business as a mobile collector in the licensing council’s area only. A mobile collector is a person who carries on business as a scrap metal dealer otherwise than at a site, and regularly engages, during that business, in collecting waste materials and old, broken, worn out or defaced articles by means of visits from door to door.
For further information please see Scrap Metal Dealers guidance (opens in a new tab)
| Scrap Metal Licences | Fee |
| Site Licence | £411 |
| Collectors licence | £370 |
Please be careful to pay the correct fee as over payments will be refunded minus the admin fee of £33.
Please note you can only hold one type of licence with us.
If you wish to pay by debit card, please use our online payment system. Cheques need to be made payable to Melton Borough Council.
If you’re an individual, company or any type of partnership, you must complete a tax check if you’re renewing a licence, applying for the same type of licence you previously held, that stopped being valid less than a year ago or applying for the same type of licence you already hold with another licensing authority.
A tax check confirms that you’re registered for tax, if necessary. It will ask questions about how you pay any tax that may be due on income you earn from your licensed trade. You must carry out the tax check yourself. You cannot ask a tax agent or adviser to do this on your behalf. After you complete the tax check, you’ll be given a 9-character code. This is your tax check code. You must send this to us with your licence application. We will not be able to process your application without it.
If scrap metal is a by-product of your business you may be exempt from the need to be licensed. Examples of businesses which may be exempt are builders, plumbers and motor vehicle repair garages. Please contact us if you are not sure of your business is exempt or requires a licence.
The public register is available to view below in the downloads panel