Minutes:
The Committee received the Annual Update on the work undertaken by the Environmental Health and Licensing teams over the last year. The work was related to a wide range of statutory functions primarily aimed at protecting public health and safety, environmental control, prevention of crime and disorder and protecting the vulnerable. Following the removal of the team’s COVID Business Restriction Enforcement and Contact Tracing duties in 2022, work was refocused on core areas.
Licensing and Environmental Health officers were responsible for consenting and licensing a wide range of activities, and enquiries and complaints were responded to by officers. Multi-agency enforcement initiatives were completed with the Police, including the evening alcohol test purchase operation in October 2022. Two licensed businesses failed the test and follow up actions had been taken. Work had continued to update Licensing Policies.
The Food and Health & Safety work of the team was included in the service plan considered by the Committee in June 2022. The priorities of the plan for 2022/23 were focused on the areas of greatest risk. The largest part of food safety work relates to the Food Inspection Programme for the Borough’s 700 businesses, which was in line the requirements of the Food Standard Agency. Hygiene standards for food businesses remained high, and customer satisfaction levels of those receiving inspections was 100%.
Formal action was taken as a last resort, but there had been a voluntary closure due to a pest infestation at one premises and Hygiene Improvement Notices served on other premises where contraventions had been found. A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice had been served on a premises found to be the source of a food poisoning outbreak. Investigations were ongoing, and possible further legal action was under consideration. The Environmental Health team also acted on national food hygiene issues, including the possible salmonella contamination of confectionary. The team had carried out 40 visits to retailers to ensure the affected batches were removed from sale.
The Team had also been successful in a bid to receive funding from the Food Standard Agency (FSA) to gather information on imported foods for sale in the Borough. A programme of imported food sampling was being carried with findings being fed back to the FSA to inform importation policy and Trading Standards for follow up regarding labelling and composition contraventions.
A Gas Safety project had been carried out, reviewing the safety of gas appliances in smaller independent catering establishments, resulting in 30 formal notices being served in relation to unsafe appliances.
All skin piercing activity was being reviewed to ensure the registration were held by businesses and letters were sent to relevant premises determine the services offered.
A project to begin in March 2023 was planned to assess the electrical safety of hospitality premises with outdoor seating. The team was also heavily involved in in relation to safety at public events and granting associated road closures, including the Platinum Jubilee and Surrey Pride event.
The Pollution Team were able to resolve most complaints informally, but nuisance abatement and community protection notices could be served. The team was also responsible for assessing contaminated land sites, responding to planning consultations, land search enquiries and carrying out routine air quality monitoring.
The Environmental Health and Licensing Teams were thanked for their work and the Committee noted the update.