Business Regulation (Environmental Permits / Food Safety / Health and Safety / Licensing / Trading Standards / Urban Renewal)
The role of local government regulation is to ensure a safe and fair trading environment where business growth is supported, fair competition encouraged and consumers protected. Many of the basic regulatory functions are designed to ensure equity in trading relationships.
We aim to ensure local businesses can comply with relevant regulation and licensing requirements to ensure activities are safe and operate within the controls and limits imposed. Where we can we will provide advice and support to businesses from start up to development and expansion.
We assume that most of our customers are anxious to comply with the requirements of the law. Council regulators will work co-operatively with those who are regulated to avoid bureaucracy and excessive cost. The core aspects of our work are business regulatory advice, inspection and audit of premises and processes, providing guidance on technical specifications and requirements, consumer assistance and in certain situations enforcement; including but not limited to prosecution of rogue traders. Where we do have to take formal enforce action it will be fair and even handed, taking into account the Divisional Enforcement Policy.
The nationally recognised Primary Authority Partnership Scheme is an opportunity for a business to work closely with an authority to protect their business. Through the scheme the Primary Authority becomes responsible for advice and assistance to a particular business or organisation. Businesses form a statutory partnership with one local authority or fire and rescue authority, which then provides robust and reliable advice which other local regulators must take into account when carrying out inspections or addressing non-compliance elsewhere.
Through the Primary Authority scheme businesses have access to reliable information based on a detailed understanding of their specific operations. It prevents inconsistent interpretation of regulations and applies regardless of where company premises are based or products are sold. So businesses can invest with confidence in products, practices and procedures. Agreements can cover broad or specific areas of environmental health, fire safety, licensing and trading standards.
We are committed to providing an efficient, courteous and helpful service, concentrating our resources on higher risk activities and non-compliant businesses.