Issue - meetings

The Council was required to produce and approve a work plan that was in line with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Framework Agreement and the Statement of Commitment, agreed nationally between Local Authority Representatives and the Health and Safety Executive.

The Committee therefore considered such a Plan, which covered all work undertaken within the Housing and Environmental Enforcement work area, relating to Food and Health and Safety. The Plan’s purpose being, to set out how the Council delivered its official controls and fulfilled its duties under food, health and safety, public health and drinking water legislation. 

The Plan before Members also reflected the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had had upon the work area in relation to delivering its statutory functions in respect of food hygiene. The information on performance and the inspection regime were shown in sections 9 and 10 of the Plan and were specifically highlighted to the Committee.

The Covid-19 Pandemic had severely impacted on the service area and its ability to deliver the usual obligations in relation to food safety. Officers in the work area had been immediately identified, and delegated by Government, to provide the frontline response within the majority of Local Authority Coronavirus Regulations.

As a result, the objectives within the 20/21 work plan have not been achieved and in some instances were not able to be achieved.  FSA guidance had been followed at all times and during the Pandemic certain activities and inspections had been prohibited. Enabling the work area to focus on the Covid-19 response, had meant usual statutory requirements in relation to food hygiene inspections had been amended as the year progressed.

Further details of the COVID- 19 Impact were contained in Section 3 of the report including the increased service requests and future resourcing, in light of the FSA Recovery Road Map which would see the Authority need to deliver a substantial amount of inspections during 21/22 and into 22/23 before a return to more recognisable plan.

The Road Map and impact specifically on West Lindsey’s resources short and long term were detailed in Section 4 of the report.  The scale of the challenge was considerable, and resourcing would need to be increased to ensure that the Council could return to the normal inspection regime and the target of between 90-95% of routine inspections being achieved. A resourcing plan was under consideration.

Given the different approach, current performance and delivery targets would not be achieved however, the report recommended that, given the current circumstances raised through the report, the Committee should receive a progress report by January 2022, to be assured what progress was been achieved against the Recovery Plan.

Debate ensued and Members recognised the scale of the challenge.  In response to questions, Officers confirmed budgets had been identified for temporary additional resources.  Some level of food sampling would still be undertaken but would not continue at previous levels.  All statutory requirements had and would continue to be met.

The current make-up of the team was outlined, at request,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8