Animal Funeral Services, Kington
Case reference EIR2026/01646
Received 11 July 2026
Published 7 August 2026
Request
I would be grateful if you could explain the role of the council in regulating and inspecting this facility. In particular, I would appreciate answers to the following questions:
* What inspections or oversight should have been undertaken at this premises?
* How frequently should such inspections have taken place?
* When was the last inspection carried out before the current investigation began?
* Were any concerns, breaches, complaints or enforcement actions identified before this investigation?
* What steps is the council now taking to establish what happened and to support affected pet owners?
* Will owners whose pets were entrusted to this facility receive any information about whether their individual pets may have been affected?
Response
I would be grateful if you could explain the role of the council in regulating and inspecting this facility. In particular, I would appreciate answers to the following questions:
* What inspections or oversight should have been undertaken at this premises?
Answer: This information is not held by Herefordshire Council.
Herefordshire Council have no statutory duty to inspect this premises and only inspect reactively upon receiving a complaint. Approvals for the incinerators and waste on site are issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Environment Agency.
The APHA and the Environment Agency will hold these details.
* How frequently should such inspections have taken place?
Answer: This information is not held by Herefordshire Council. The APHA and the Environment Agency will hold these details.
When was the last inspection carried out before the current investigation began?
Were any concerns, breaches, complaints or enforcement actions identified before this investigation?
Answer: Information regarding any previous inspections, concerns, breaches, complaints or enforcement actions are considered to be exempt under Regulation 12(5) (b) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, in that disclosure would adversely affect the council's ability to conduct an inquiry or investigation.
Regarding the public interest in disclosing the information weighed against the public interest in maintaining the exception, I have taken the following factors into consideration:
The public interest in disclosing the information:
The public have a need to scrutinise decisions made by public authorities in order for decisions to be open and transparent, particularly around what action the council has taken or plans to take regarding previous inspections, concerns, breaches, complaints or enforcement actions.
The public interest in not disclosing the information:
This particular matter is currently 'live' and the situation is ongoing. Disclosure would prejudice any current or future actions that may be being contemplated.
The council requires space to make decisions away from public scrutiny which would have the potential to prejudice the investigations by introducing pressures of pre-judgements and opinions not based on evidence.
Providing further information would reveal the council's strategy when conducting investigations of this nature, and this would prejudice future investigations of a similar nature in that those under investigation would have had the opportunity to prepare or conceal knowing what to expect during an investigation.
I have decided on balance that the public interest in not releasing the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
* What steps is the council now taking to establish what happened and to support affected pet owners?
Answer: For the first part of this question, please see the response provided above.
For the second part of this question, the Service Area have advised any affected owners will be contacted during the investigation. At this stage of the investigation, officers have not identified evidence to suggest that owners who requested individual cremations were not provided with the correct ashes.
* Will owners whose pets were entrusted to this facility receive any information about whether their individual pets may have been affected?
Answer: The Service Area have advised upon completion of the investigation and depending on the outcome, the Council may issue a statement to the press or contact those affected.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.