Report highlights enforcement actions

A record number of food businesses in South Derbyshire have been awarded the top score for their food hygiene, according to a report presented to members of the District Council’s Environmental and Development Services Committee last night. (Aug 15) 

At April 2019, 85.2% had achieved a five-star rating, the highest ever proportion to do so.

The figure was one of a range of facts presented in a report summarising how the Council used enforcement and regulatory powers in 2018/19. The Council’s regulatory services cover environmental health, licensing, community safety and planning.

Alongside the food hygiene success, other details highlighted included that for the second year running there had been a fall in the recorded number of fly tipping incidents with the number showing a 15% decrease in the last two years; and that there was a significant reduction in complaints about dogs in public places – fouling, welfare concerns, off leads.

One area that did see an increase was noise complaints, but as SDDC’s Head of Environmental Services Matt Holford who wrote the report explained, this was a direct result of the hot summer we had last year, with more people having windows open, playing music outdoors and having barbeques.

Speaking about cases taken to court, Matt said that two offenders prosecuted were served prison sentences and in two of the cases, Council officers were commended for the quality of their investigations and evidence.

He described these facts as “very, very rare” and “unprecedented”.   

Several cases of particular note were detailed in the report. They included one involving a man from Walton on Trent who pleaded guilty to breeding puppies without a licence and was ordered to pay more than £5,000 costs.

Members were also told 18 Community Protection Notice warnings and five Community Protection Notices had been issued to individuals for a range of anti-social behaviours in locations including Swadlincote Town Centre, Midway Community Centre and a multi-occupancy property in Newhall.

A reminder was also included about a man from Burton-on-Trent who was found guilty of fraud by false representation after he failed to declare on his application form that he had held a private hire driver’s licence with East Staffordshire Borough Council that had been revoked on two occasions.

Reacting to the report, Chairman of the Committee Cllr Andrew MacPherson said: “This paints a very, good picture of the service, well done to all of the staff involved.”

16 August 2019