new to chickens, some questions!

You don't need a lisence to keep chickens but if you have more then 50 you need to be registered with DEFRA. Yes, if your chickens are very noisy and neighbours complain the council can force you to give them up but that is really unlikely. Chickens are not very noisy and bribing your neighbours with a few eggs usually works. Cocks are a different matter. They can be very noisy particularly at antisocial times like first thing in the morning! You are not usually recommended to keep a cockerel in a  residential area. You don't need a cock and the hens will lay without him but no chicks hatching without him.
Castration  (caponisation) is illegal in the UK.

Hello Helens

I keep my hens in darkness until 7am, that keeps them quiet, they do tend to be quite noisey first thing .... wheres my breakfast  let me out of the coop
Thought the auto door would give me a lay in but I dont leave food out over night and like to keep them safe in the coop so am up anyway
Have one neighbour that is aware of the hens, eggs bribes work a treat

Jo

Re cocks and chicks.  As has been said here's no need to have a cock if all you want are eggs.  Hens do not need to be mated in order to lay.  Assuming you don't want to create a natural chicken social environment the only reason to have a cock is if you want to breed chicks.  As a begineer I suggest you should just start with hens even if you eventually want to breed.
A cock can fertilise an egg but a chick wouldn't start to develop until it was incubated by a broody or in an incubator.  Once an egg is fertilised and laid it will stay dormant and be indistinguishable from an non-fertised egg.  It can be cooled down and it will remain viable for up to two weeks and will only start to develop once it has reached the body temperature of a hen (around 37.5 degC).  So even if a hen is running with a cock you can still eat her eggs without any fear that a little chick will popout  when you crack it open.  It's the ability of a fertile egg to remain dormant which allows it to be sent through the post and then incubated.
Cocks are noisy at all times of the daylight hours and not just at dawn and would soon cause irritation with your neighbours so shouldn't feature in your plans at least until you are a bit more experienced.
Regards

Getting my first time chickens today, but no cockrel because I don't want 4.30 alarm call let alone the neighbours.
Live on the edge of a rural village, but still other people around to consider.
Neighbours have all been consulted and are as excited as I am.
Some concerns about rats, there was a problem with them last year, so quite understandable, am concerned about that myself.
Have opted for Mk 4 Fenn Traps and DFT Box available from Domestic Fowl Trust.

I went on one of the Omlet courses, and have learned LOADS from this forum re housing, the pen, the lotions and potions, etc etc, so feeling quite confident, though guessing it will be different when faced with reality!

Please keep us informed of progress, and lots of pics!