Issue - meetings

The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager presented the Food, Health and Safety Work Plan 2024/25 and explained the report outlined how the service area performed and the service demand over the last 12-month period. The work plan was a statutory requirement from the Food Standards Agency and was attached at Appendix 1. In addition to food safety inspections, there were other premises that the Environmental Health team inspected such as car sales premises, garages, and leisure facilities.

The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager highlighted the table in section 3 which demonstrated the number of inspections required and completed over the last 4 years. There was a routine inspection programme of 450 inspections of which 376 required a physical food hygiene inspection. The team were aiming for a minimum of 90% completion rate for 2024/25. Following the Covid-19 Pandemic, there were a significant number of premises that did not have an inspection during the lockdown period and the programme was being reworked to ensure premises that were not inspected fall part of the regime. Members heard the potential risk to the service area as the inspection programme for 2024/25 would be a challenge with the level of demand and resources available. There were plans to improve efficiencies in the team, such as the implementation of a Sugar CRM system and moving manual exercises online to help speed up administrative processes. There was a potential risk that the service area would need additional budget to meet the service demand and employ temporary workers as extra resources to undertake food, health, and safety inspections. The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager would continue to monitor the rate of inspections and an update report would be brought back to the Committee in December 2024.

Members discussed the report and referred to the café culture and regeneration work in Gainsborough and asked if the forecast considered new businesses opening. The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager explained that he was aware and with new businesses the type of food business and the impact would need to be considered and this would determine the inspection period. Members asked if the team were able to employ an officer on a permanent basis. The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager assured Members that all available options were being considered at present and he would continue to monitor the situation and bring an update to the December meeting. Members discussed the Food Standard Agency’s proposal to increase the length between inspection periods and asked if notice was given to premises prior to inspections. It was confirmed that no notice was given prior to inspections, and it was felt that there was a risk of food standards slipping between longer inspection periods. Members questioned the resourcing required for hard to reach inspections and if these would continue. The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager confirmed these would continue and there was an officer within the team who was able to fit this in their working arrangements, conducting inspections later into the evening.

The Chairman  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29