Judge adjourns for judgment in Jodie Marsh appeal against animal licence refusal

By Sam Russell, PA

A judge has adjourned for judgment an appeal by former glamour model Jodie Marsh against a council’s decision to refuse her application for a wild animal licence to keep lemurs at her animal sanctuary.

Media personality Ms Marsh, who trained as a bodybuilder, told an earlier hearing that online trolls are behind much of the criticism of her animal sanctuary in Lindsell, nine miles north west of Braintree in Essex.

Uttlesford District Council last year rejected an application for lemurs to be kept at the animal sanctuary, and Ms Marsh is appealing against this decision.

Five video clips of screeching lemurs at a zoo were played to a hearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Andrew Bonham, senior environmental health officer for Uttlesford District Council, said that a noise survey was carried out at the zoo, the location of which was not stated in court.

“I should think most people don’t know what lemurs sound like,” he told the court.

He said that the video clips were not of the animals that were the subject of Ms Marsh’s application.

He said Ms Marsh was asked for information on where the lemurs that she intended to acquire were so that a noise survey of the animals could be conducted, but “she was unable to provide that information”.

Paul Oakley, for Ms Marsh, asked Mr Bonham how far away from the zoo enclosure the videos of lemurs were filmed from.

Mr Bonham said four of the clips were taken from three metres away, and one was from 70 metres away.

He said the nearest neighbouring garden or window to Ms Marsh’s proposed lemur enclosure site was “approximately 45 metres” away.

“Had those particular lemurs that were filmed… turn(ed) up at Ms Marsh’s it would likely cause intrusion and we would likely get complaints,” Mr Bonham said.

Mr Oakley said council officers felt “lemurs alone are unlikely to constitute a noise nuisance”.

He described as “speculation” the “conclusion lemurs were likely to contribute to the (noise) impact”.

Mr Oakley said that the lemurs Ms Marsh was seeking to acquire have since been rehomed elsewhere.

He said new legislation, in April of next year, will mean a licence is needed to keep marmosets and that Ms Marsh already has 17 marmosets.

He said that if the panel’s decision were allowed to stand it would “have an adverse impact on her ability to keep marmosets”.

Mark Smith, for Uttlesford District Council, said: “If the panel thinks there’s a risk of nuisance they don’t have to find it actually would happen.”

District Judge Christopher Williams adjourned the hearing and said he would give his judgment on Tuesday, June 3 at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.