Bluetongue movement licences and designated slaughterhouses

When you need to apply for a licence

There are no temporary control zones (TCZ) in force or general licences.

Some premises in England do remain under bluetongue restriction and you will need to:

• apply for a specific licence for movement
• use a designated slaughterhouse

The following types of premises are under bluetongue restriction.

Holdings which where in a TCZ and some or all susceptible animals have not yet been sampled and tested by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)

Apply for a specific licence if you need to move your animals on to and off the premises before all susceptible animals have been tested or an inventory of all animals on the premises has been taken by APHA.

Holdings with links to premises where positive cases have been confirmed also known as traced premises

An epidemiological investigation will be carried out. Restrictions appropriate to these specific circumstances will be put in place. If you need to move your animals onto and off these premises, whilst these restrictions are in place, you can apply for a specific licence.

You can also apply for a specific movement licence if there’s an urgent and genuine welfare need to move animals, including short moves out of the TCZ.

If a welfare licence is approved, the animals will be placed under restriction. You may be asked by the APHA licensing team to organise a visit by your private vet, at your cost, to take samples from the animals after they have moved. The samples will currently be tested free of charge.

Premises where a disease investigation is being done into the possible presence of bluetongue

The keeper or occupier will be issued with a notice explaining the restrictions in place. A specific licence will be needed to move any bluetongue susceptible animal or germinal products produced from them on or off the premises.

Premises that have completed official bluetongue virus testing, and one or more polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or serology positive entire males or pregnant females are still present

Keepers will be issued with a multiple use licence (EXD595). Under this licence any animal may be moved on or off the premises, except the animals detailed in the prohibited list of the licence.

Designated slaughterhouses

Abattoirs that can slaughter animals from a bluetongue virus restricted premises under licence.

• 2056 Linden Foods Burradon (NE23 7NB)
• 2077 Foyle Melton Mowbray (LE14 3PR)
• 2095 Hartshead Meats Ltd (OL5 0JL)
• 2172 Foyle Gloucester (GL14 2PH)
• 2241 Woolley Brothers (Wholesale Meats) Ltd (S20 3RW)
• 2388 Dunbia Cumbria (LA12 0LT)
• 4071 Dunbia Preston (PR5 6AJ)
• 4073 ABP Ellesmere (SY12 9BL)
• 4109 ABP Shrewsbury (SY1 4AH)
• 4133 Farmers Fresh Ltd (CV8 1NN)
• 4471 Woodhead Bros, Colne (BB8 8LH)
• 5106 Dunbia Cardington (MK44 3SB)
• 5116 Dovecote Park (Skellingthorpe) (LN6 5TX)
• 5207 HG Blake (Costessey) Ltd (NR10 4DU)
• 5280 Fowler Bros (Latchingdon) Ltd (CM0 8NA)
• 5319 Romford Halal Meats Ltd (RM4 1TH)
• 5513 Woodhead Bros, Spalding (PE11 3YY)
• 6238 ABP Guildford (GU1 1RP)
• 7015 Dunbia Llanybydder (SA40 9QE)
• 7176 St Merryn Foods, Merthyr (CF48 2TA)
• 8073 St Merryn Foods (Bodmin) (Pl31 2QB)
• 8207 ABP Sturminster (DT10 1HA)
• 8216 ABP Yetminster (DT9 6HQ)
• 8285 ABP Langport (TA10 9HG)

Always check with your usual outlet as other abattoirs may also be designated or in the process of applying for designation.

Apply for a specific licence

Allow at least 5 days for your licence application to be processed where possible. Complex and high-risk movements will need extra time to process.

Make contingency plans to allow for the time it takes to be issued. Consider what steps you will need to take if the licence is refused or cannot be issued in time. 

If a licence is issued, it will normally allow for a one off movement. It will be subject to certain conditions based on disease control risk.