Get Protected Newsletter

THE FREE NEWSLETTER OF TAMESIDE MBC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & CONSUMER SERVICES
PROVIDING HELP AND ADVICE FOR CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES OF TAMESIDE
ISSUE 19 SEPTEMBER, 2005
Introduction
Welcome to the current issue of our ‘Get Protected’ newsletter. In this issue we have taken the opportunity of outlining some
of the many services we provide within our service area including some of our key proposals for 2005/06. We hope you find
the information useful and informative. You will see that our work is very varied but our aims are to provide a safe and healthy
environment for residents and visitors to Tameside.
Licensing and Enforcement
Engineering and Environmental Services Annual Report 2004-2005
Trading Standards and Consumer Services
Scope of Trading Standards Service
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Trading Standards
Consumer Advice
Weights and Measures
Under Age Sales
Doorstep Crime
2004/05 Trading Standards and
Consumer Services key priorities
● Reduce the top three areas of
complaint by 5%
● To undertake all weights & measures
request tests within five working days
● Increase the numbers of members of
the Fair Play Charter Scheme for the
motor trade by 5%
● To carry out 100% inspection of
trading premises that are due
inspection
● Respond to all complaints within three
days
● To carry out at least one test
purchasing initiative each month in
relation to alcohol sales
Main achievements
● Maintained the CLS (Community
Legal Services) Quality Mark for
advice services
● Produced a self help booklet for
Consumer Advice information
through the CSNs (Consumer Support
Networks)
● Maintained the European Notified
Body Status for the weights &
measures laboratory
● Lead partner in the Crime and
Disorder Reduction Partnership to
tackle doorstep sales, rogue traders
and bogus officials
● Lead partner in the Crime and
Disorder Reduction Partnership to
tackle the sales of alcohol to under
age persons
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
The Trading Standards Business Plan for
2004/2005 identified 35 separate action
plans. All of these objectives were
achieved.
Other key issues
● Introduction of a cold calling protocol
for all doorstep sales/visits
● Maintained accreditation to ISO 9000,
Chartermark and Investors In People
● Carried out 63 under age sales test
purchases of alcohol and introduced
counter mat for all shops along with
individual training and advice
● Prosecuted thirty individuals for
selling alcohol to persons under
eighteen
● Achieved 100% compliance with
National Best Value Performance
Indicators
Key priorities for 2005/06
● Introduction of Consumer Direct, a
national consumer advice number
introduced across the whole of the
country for initial advice in relation to
consumer problems.
● Introduction of a Community Diary for
the residents of Tameside to inform
the section of alcohol related anti­
social behaviour around the borough
in order to target resources more in
hot spot areas.
● Internet fraud and
internet sales are a
growing problem
with consumers
increasingly
purchasing over the
net and new ways of
policing these sales
will need to be
introduced
"An excellent council"
PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR REQUIRE ADVICE ON ANY OF THE ITEMS IN THIS ISSUE
Environmental Health & Consumer Services Division, Council Offices, Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne. OL6 6DL Tel: 0161 342 3941
Environmental Protection
● Undertake an investigation of the
former Guide Lane Landfill site
● Respond to requests for service from
members of the public and internal
customers .
Main achievements
Scope of Environmental Protection
Service
● Permitting industrial operators and
enforcement of pollution control
legislation
● Assessment of contaminated land
● Assessment of environmental impact
of planning applications
● Monitoring and assessment of air
quality within the borough
● Assessment and monitoring of the
impact of licensed premises on the
neighbourhood.
● Investigation of noise and pollution
incidents
2004/05 Workgroup key priorities
● Inspect all permitted installations
● Undertake detailed assessment of air
quality in the borough
● Review all planning applications for
potentially contaminated land
● Review all planning applications for
environmental impact due to noise
and other pollutants
● Implementation of the Greater
Manchester Air Quality Action Plan
● Undertook a detailed assessment of
air quality across the borough and
identified areas where area quality
objectives may be exceeded.
● Undertook a major physical
investigation of the former Guide
Lane landfill site installing 52
boreholes and monitoring for landfill
gas.
● Undertook 2 formal roadside emission
testing days issuing 2 fixed penalty
notices to drivers of grossly polluting
vehicles
● Responded to over 100 requests for
environmental information over the
course of the year.
● Consulted on a Noise Management
Guide for licensed premises
● Dealt with over 1800 service requests
regarding noise and pollution issues
objectives despite increasing workloads.
Other key issues
The Licensing Act 2003 is already putting
a very heavy load on the team and will
continue to do so as the numbers of
premises that we monitor increases.
Key priorities for 2005/06
● Deal with the new Licensing Act
consultations
● Review of contaminated land strategy
● New BVPI for contaminated land and
integrated pollution control
● Development of internal air quality
steering group to address air quality
issues across the borough
● Integration of Local Transport Plan
and Air Quality Action Plan
● Undertake sampling to identify
materials that contain asbestos
● Prepare and submit application to
renew Chartermark, in conjunction
with other sections of the
Department.
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
The objectives of the business plan were
met during 2003 / 2004. The introduction
of a new team member dealing with
contaminated land will help us meet the
Licensing
as appropriate ● Inspection of premises, and vehicles to
assess compliance with licensing
requirements and ensure public safety
● To review practices and procedures to
ensure improved service standards
● To contribute to consultations at
national and local level to ensure
policies reflect and address local need
Main achievements
Scope of Licensing Service
● Administration and enforcement of
Local Authority licensing functions
including taxis, public entertainment,
street trading, charitable collections
and animal welfare
● Administration (and enforcement
from Nov 05) of Licensing Act
functions in respect of licensing all
outlets selling alcohol and providing
entertainment. Persons supervising
these activities are also licensed by
the service.
● In partnership with other agencies
ensure delivery of the local town
centre safety, and alcohol harm action
plans
2004/05 Workgroup key priorities
● Determination of licensing
applications and renewals of licences
● Over 600 inspections carried out by
the sections 2 enforcement officers
● New taxi driver training programme
introduced to address basic skills
standards required
● Targeted summer campaign
successfully increased the number of
street trading applications
● Introduction of ì Bar revueì scheme ie
a structured programme working in
partnership with high risk business
premises
● Successful objection to the renewal of
two entertainment licences resulting
in the non renewal of these licences
● Introduction of a new test standard
for vehicle examinations
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
● The majority of the business plan
actions were met in relation to
enforcement actions. The amended
timetable for the introduction of the
Licensing Act resulted in slippage in
some areas,
Other key issues
● An independent survey was
commissioned to assess local taxi
provision the results of this will affect
local taxi and transport policies
● The Council is one of only 8
authorities nationally that has been
asked to participate in a costs analysis
project in respect of Licensing Act
costs
● Preparation for the introduction of
the Licensing Act including staffing,
training, development of the
statutory licensing policy and
production of procedures and
guidance notes
● The Council sits as 1 of 9 Local
Authorities on a national Licensing
Policy Forum
Key priorities for 2005/06
● Implementation of the new Licensing
Act regime
● Implementation of an action plan
following the publication of the taxi
survey results
● Further develop actions to contribute
to corporate plans e.g alcohol harm,
transport, town centre safety.
Safety and Hygiene
Scope of Environmental Safety and
Hygiene Service
● Inspection of workplaces to ensure
that they are both safe to work in
and visit.
● Regulation of standards within food
premises to ensure that they are
operating in a safe hygienic manner.
● Investigation of workplace accidents,
food complaints and food related
illnesses
● Provision of Food Hygiene Training
2004/05 Workgroup key priorities
● Inspected 871 food premises
● Inspected 756 workplaces
● Investigate workplace accidents, food
complaints and other requests for
service within 3 days
● Development of a Food Service Plan
and a Health and Safety Service plan.
Main achievements
● Increased Heath and Safety
enforcement action
● Both the Health & Safety and Food
safety services were compared
favourably against neighbouring
Greater Manchester authorities as
part of interauthority auditing
process.
● Delivered 16 Foundation Level Food
Hygiene courses (Approx. 200 people
trained)
● Awarded 200 food premises with Food
Safe award in recognition of good
hygiene standards
● Delivery of Health and Safety and
Food Safety inspection programmes
despite staff shortages.
Safety and Hygiene (continued)
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
The objectives of the business plan were
met despite the departure of 4 members
of staff and the loss of one officer to a
major investigation.
Officers concentrated their efforts on
high risk activities in Health & Safety and
increased enforcement action in the
following areas of slips & trips, falls from
height, workplace transport and
musculoskeletal disorders so as to prevent
accidents occurring. We were able to
develop the Health and Safety website to
provide targeted advice and assistance to
businesses.
220 samples of food were purchased from
premises for testing to ensure that they
were safe for consumption. We sampled
17 private water supplies to ensure that
the water was fit for human consumption
Other key issues
We served a prohibition notice closing a
retail premises because there was a risk to
the Health and Safety of staff and
customers from asbestos exposure and are
still investigating the circumstances
surrounding this. We published a range
of articles on young persons employment,
slips and trips and safe preparation of
food in our own publication Get
protected and also in Cineworld
Magazine. We contacted every food
premises (approx. 1500) in the borough to
alert them to the Para Red dye
contamination of foodstuffs.
We continued to work with Dieticians
from the Primary Care Trust to encourage
and award food premises that provide
healthy options on their menus. We
continued to work in partnership with
DEFRA in accordance with the framework
agreement to protect the health &
welfare of farm animals.
● To develop an award scheme for
responsible traders within the
borough.
● To ensure all premises due for an
inspection are visited.
● To comment as appropriate to all
licensing applications received to
support the objectives of the
Licensing Act 2003.
● To organise four enforcement
initiatives in partnership with other
agencies.
● To maintain the Chartermark award
achieved in 2002.
Key priorities for 2005/06
● To produce a joint enforcement plan
for Health and Safety & Food Safety
to ensure resources are targeted
efficiently and that the Health and
Safety of all those in the borough are
protected.
● To contribute towards the public
health an agenda promoting healthy
eating and encouraging smokefree
premises
Fly Tipping
Scope of Fly Tipping
● Enforcement of legislation in relation
to fly tipping and accumulations of
refuse
● Enforcement of legislation relating to
duty of care at commercial premises.
● Publicity and education of the public
and traders in relation to fly tipping
and control of waste
2004/05 Workgroup key priorities
● To secure office accommodation and
IT systems for the Unit
● To investigate requests for service
within 5 days
● To set up systems for co-ordination of
fly tipping investigation throughout
the Borough
● To develop legal process charts
● To set up a database of all known
legal and illegal waste carriers
operating in the Borough
Main achievements
● Three successful prosecutions for fly
tipping offences
● Large increase in number of other
enforcement actions, particularly
notices served.
● Increase in publicity in relation to the
work of the Unit including items in
the Wire, Citizen, Advertiser
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
The majority of objectives were achieved
during the year. By the end of the year
79.4% of requests for service had been
responded to within 5 days despite an
increase in the number of such requests.
Due to development of improved
procedures and acquired experience in
dealing with the problem the number of
prosecutions is increasing and some of
these are being fast tracked to the
Borough Solicitor. Steps have been taken
to educate the public about the problem
of fly tipping by incorporating the subject
within training provided to schoolchildren
on recycling.
Other key issues
The required monthly returns were made
to the Flycapture database throughout
the year using information from within
the Unit and some feed back from
Patrollers. Information requested from
District Assemblies to complete returns
has not been forthcoming. As these
returns are now subject of a best value
performance indicator, steps have been
taken to ensure their importance is
stressed to District Assemblies and in
addition to secure better quality data
from Patrollers.
An additional member of staff is to be
recruited to help cope with the increase
in requests for service.
Key priorities for 2005/06
● To build improved links with other
Departments in order to obtain
improved data in relation to
flytipping investigations and more
particularly clearance of fly tipped
items from public land.
● To carry out consultation with our
customers.
Operations & Waste Management
Refuse Collection
Scope of Refuse Service
● Collection of domestic refuse across
Tameside, which equates to
approximately 90 000 premises.
● Collection of trade refuse across
Tameside, which equates to
approximately 2400 premises per year.
● Dog Waste collection from parks.
● Clinical collection of used needles and
contaminated medical devices.
● Country Parks collections.
● Rural Collection for premises that are
harder to reach.
● Bin deliveries, including the delivery
of Green, Brown, Black and Blue bins.
● Bulky Collection for items such as
three piece suites, fridges, etc
● Paper collection for recycling
● Glass collection for recycling
● Plastic collection for recycling
● Garden Waste collection.
2004/05 Workgroup key priorities
● Appoint a Waste Services Manager
● Develop a Working Forum of staff to
improve services
● Develop specifications for a new fleet
of vehicles.
● Reduce levels of missed collections
● Provide operational support to the
recycling service.
Main achievements
Work commenced on enforcing a flat lid
policy throughout the borough. A brown
bin collection service commenced in
August 2004 and expanded in March
2005. Waste collected during the year
reduced whilst the amount of waste we
collected for recycling increased. We
significantly reduced the numbers of
collections we missed.
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
The level of missed bins was reduced from
over 150 to 75 per 100,000 collections.
The brown bin service was successfully
introduced using existing staff and
vehicles but during the year this became a
permanent service.
Other key issues
Again we maintained our year round
collection of waste by collecting through
the Xmas and New Year period. We have
worked with Fleet Management on the
specification of new vehicles, which
should be available towards Autumn
2005. The Waste Services Manager was
appointed in February 2005.
Key priorities for 2005/06
● Introduce a trial area of managed
collections e.g. alternate collections of
residual and recyclable waste.
● Reduce costs across the service area.
● Contribute to an overall increase in
recycling.
● Reduce levels of missed collections.
● Introduce further collection rounds to
assist recycling activities.
● Continue to grow our commercial
business and/or consider the sale of
this area.
Recycling
Scope of Recycling Service
● To provide kerbside collection facilities
for recyclable materials.
● To provide high quality Bring Site
collection facilities for recyclable
materials.
● To provide a comprehensive waste
minimisation and recycling education
program for schools and residents.
2004/05 Workgroup key priorities
● To Increase the recycling rate in
Tameside.
● To introduce the Brown Bin Scheme
for the collection of garden waste.
● To manage existing recycling service
and increase participation.
● To provide educational visits to the
Tameside Environment Centre, to
allow people to see what happens to
the waste they collect for recycling.
● To process glass collected in Tameside
into sand and find markets for the
product.
● To contribute to the procurement of
the Greater Manchester Waste
Disposal contract.
● To analyse the Council’s waste arisings
in order to identify household waste
for the calculation of Best Value
Performance indicators.
Main achievements
● Achieved a recycling rate of 12.52%
● Introduced the Brown Bin collection
scheme for garden waste to 17,000
properties.
● The Councils waste arisings have been
analysed and household waste
identified.
● The tonnages of recyclables collected
from existing schemes have increased.
Other key issues
Tameside MBC will continue to work with
other Greater Manchester Authorities to
manage the future of waste management
in the region.
Key priorities for 2005/06
● Expand the Brown Bin Collection
service to all properties in the
borough with gardens.
● Introduce a paper collection service to
rural properties.
● Publish a Local Waste Plan to show
how we will achieve a recycling level
of 33% by 2010/2011.
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
During 2004/05 Tameside Council has
increased the recycling rate from 8.83%
(2003/04) to 12.52%. This has been
achieved through the expansion of
existing recycling schemes and the
introduction of the Brown Bin service.
Education and publicity has played a key
role and made residents think about
waste minimisation and recycling.
Bereavement Services
Scope of Bereavement Services
● Tameside Bereavement services
provide all burial, cremation,
exhumation and memorial facilities
and we are dedicated to providing
the highest possible standards of
service.
● We aim to ensure that the entire
bereavement experience occurs
without error or insensitivity and
meets religious, secular, ethnic and
cultural needs of the bereaved.
● We aim to ensure all our 8 cemeteries
& Crematorium are a safe place for
visitors and that all buildings and
grounds are kept to a high standard.
2004/05 Workgroup key priorities
● To provide a Hindu deity at Dukinfield
Crematorium to meet the
cultural/religious needs
● To produce and send out
questionnaires to the bereaved
● Carry out memorial inspections in
accordance with the Key Decision.
● To develop the sale of memorial
benches to enhance the appearance
of the cemeteries, to give further
memorial choice to families to
respond to customer consultation.
● To respond to the Disability
Discrimination Act which came into
force in October 2004.
Main achievements
Achieved Charter Mark Standard - There
were 6 Criteria, which were broken down
into a total of 63 sub-criteria. We
achieved full compliance in 59 of these
criteria with only 4 minor noncompliances.
Scrutiny Review - The Economic and
Environmental Services Scrutiny panel
carried out a review on the policies &
provision of the service. In their report,
The Chair congratulated the staff for the
excellent and compassionate work they
do. Many of the recommendations
highlighted have been placed in the
Business Plan for 2005/06.
Revised procedures for Memorial
Inspection Programme
As part of our ongoing programme to
protect visitors and from looking at ways
to continualy improve the methods being
used, we introduced the fixing of
"temporary support systems". This
enabled most unsafe memorials to be
supported in an upright position rather
than be laid down. Whilst the memorial is
supported, attempts are then made to
contact the Grave Owner to take the
necessary action. The support is left in
place for a period of 4 months. This new
system reduced complaints by approx
75%.
variety of reasons i.e. lack of resources,
legal issues or contractors not available.
The 5 action plans have been carried
forward to this year (2005/06).
Key priorities for 2005/06
● Create separate entrance and exit at
Dukinfield Crematorium Chapel
● To gain the Charter for the Bereaved
● That a rolling programme of repairs
to Cemetery footpaths be
implemented, subject to appropriate
funding being available.
● To make a commitment to reduce
pollution to the environment caused
by emissions released from the
Crematorium.
● To continue with the memorial
inspection programme.
● To complete the first phase of the
new Garden of Remembrance at
Dukinfield.
Performance against Business Plan
objectives
The Bereavement Services Business Plan
for 2004/05 identified 32 separate action
plans.
27 of these objectives were met. The
remaining 5 were not achieved for a
We offer the following commercial services in order to assist local businesses:
● Food hygiene and Health & Safety training for small businesses
● Commercial pest control contracts
● Commercial trade waste collection service
For information on the above or any of our services please contact the following number: 0161 342 3941
Robin Monk
Head of Environmental Operations
Tel No. 0161 342 3340
Ian Saxon
Head of Licensing and Enforcement
Tel No. 0161 342 3470
Or fax us on 0161 342 3653
Or visit our website at www.tameside.gov.uk
"An excellent council"
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