Have Your Say on the Budgetary Process
Your views on the featured service will feed into
decisions on how the service develops and how its budget is spent.
Background information given below:
Environmental Health
The Environmental Health division deals with a wide range of
issues all with the aim of protecting and improving Public Health
and the environment for those who live in, work in, or visit the
Rochford District.
Commercial Regulation
Food Safety – the aim of the services is to
ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for everyone,
and to promote the benefits of healthy eating. Environmental Health
staff provide advice to the 578 food businesses within the district
on their legal responsibilities and enforce the law when businesses
don’t comply.
An up-to-date register of all food premises is maintained and
all food premises are inspected on a risk assessed rolling
programme. During 2010/11 officers investigated 211 food complaints
and undertook a programme of food sampling which was co-ordinated
with other Essex Environmental Health services.
Health and Safety - in accordance with the
Government’s policy to achieve a reduction of the regulatory burden
on business all commercial premises are ‘risk assessed’. Those in
the higher risk categories are inspected at a specified frequency
with support and advice freely available to others. Environmental
Health staff investigated 57 accidents in 2010/11 and dealt with a
range of complaints.
Infectious Diseases– the service investigated
108 cases of infectious disease during 2010/11with a view to both
identifying the causal agent and to prevent the spread of
infection.
Environmental Protection
An important part of the work of the Environmental Protection team
involves investigating, identifying and assessing environmental
problems and then working out the best approaches to tackle them.
The protection of key elements of our environment is important
for human health. The ability to breathe clean air, to have a
wholesome supply of drinking water and to be protected against the
harmful effects of things like waste and noise are fundamental to
our well-being.
Solutions range from identifying the correct scientific or
technical method for reducing or eliminating a problem to taking
legal action to sanction those who cause pollution or a nuisance.
Enforcement is not just about the courts, however, and
Environmental Health staff therefore also have an important role in
advising residents and business proprietors on how to overcome
specific problems which cause nuisance to others.
671 complaints were received in 2010/11 involving a whole range
of Statutory nuisances including artificial light; smoke; fumes or
gases; dust; steam or odour; noise from premises; and noise from
vehicles, machinery or equipment in a street .
Air Quality – this includes a rolling programme
of reviews covering air quality monitoring; the permitting of 24
specified industrial processes; the control of dark smoke emission
from trade and business premises; and smoky vehicle reporting and
testing. Separately; two Air Quality Management Areas have been
declared in the district as part of the National Air Quality
Strategy.
Pest Control - the Council currently subsidises
the provision of a Pest Control service by a private contractor if
residents require assistance with rodent or insect infestations. A
number of Local Authorities however have discontinued pest control
services and this will be an area to be reviewed.
Burials and Cremations - the service provides
assistance when a person dies where there are no next of kin or
other arrangements in place for the funeral.
Climate Change – the Environmental Health
service has developed and approved the Climate Change and
Sustainability Strategy and its associated action plan - the
ClimateCO2de – which has been approved by the Council.
The ClimateCO2de heralds the start of a programme of services
that will make it easier for our communities to act in more
environmentally conscious ways. The services that we will be
delivering with partners will be focussed on enabling everyone to
be a bit more environmentally conscious.
Licensing
The Licensing unit is responsible for processing applications
and issuing licences, certificates and permits that may be required
in respect of the Licensing Act 2003 and Gambling Act 2005; gaming
on licensed premises (ie amusement with prize machines); charitable
collections; lotteries; street trading; sex establishments; scrap
metal and motor salvage operators.