Environmental Health and Licensing Enforcement Policy

3.1 To ensure protection of the public from unsafe food, residential and non-residential premises, work practices, products, unscrupulous and illegal traders, noise, atmospheric or land pollution and public health pests.

3.2 To stop, control and prevent any untoward practices prejudicial to the health or safety of the public, thereby promoting the health and safety of the public and protecting the welfare of animals in animal licenced establishments.

3.3 To achieve compliance through informal action and through an enabling and supportive relationship with businesses and the public. Formal enforcement procedures, including prosecution, will only be used where in the opinion of the Council or its officers there is a serious or imminent risk of injury to health or personal injury, or a blatant disregard for the law, deliberate intent or negligence, or a history of non-compliance with informal action.

3.4 To ensure a consistent approach with regard to openness, helpfulness and proportionality to the risk posed.

3.5 To promote and maintain a consultative and participatory relationship with businesses, consumers and service users.

3.6 To have a better informed community and thus reduce the need to rely on regulatory intervention for compliance with legislation.

3.7 Environmental Health & Licensing is committed to implement policies and procedures that subscribe to principles of good enforcement. In forming this policy due consideration as been paid to the Department for Business Innovation & Skills Better Regulation Delivery Office, Regulators’ Code April 2014 (This code replaced the previously voluntary adopted Enforcement Concordat and Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) Statutory Code of Practice for Regulators published 17 December 2007).