SDC Double Standards?

In 2014/2015 SDC’s Environmental Health Team made 842 routine food hygiene visits, received 68 complaints about food and 36 complaints about hygiene in food premises; which generated 303 written warnings and 11 Improvement Notices and 0 fines.

Working proactively to avoid enforcement, Officers give advice to existing food businesses. 183 requests from new businesses and existing businesses for advice were received in 2014/2015.

Shepway achieves a regular improvement in the standards in food premises. 93%of food premises are now “broadly compliant”. What does that mean? You either are, or are not, compliant.

SDC’s general approach to enforcement is, except where circumstances indicate a significant risk, we will adopt a graduated and “educative approach” to enforcement. As the first step towards securing compliance, we will take an “educative approach” , starting at the bottom of the enforcement pyramid i.e. beginning with advice, education and informal action before moving on to more formal action when the informal approach does not achieve the desired effect.

Hmmm. Are SDC guilty of double standards?

If a member of the public drops litter, cigarette butts, do they get the benefit of SDC’s “educative approach” no they do not, as is made clear here in the Folkestone Herald

How is it that Business gets treated differently? Why is it that a light touch enforcement approach for food businesses is used, especially when eating food which is contaminated can end up giving us gastroenteritis – diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain – and means we have to take time of work?

In a time of Austerity, when SDC are desperate to increase their “revenue streams” why is that this Tory led administration will not punish business like it will the public, as the example in the Herald clearly demonstrates.

Is this a case of Double Standards? We’ll leave you to decide.

If perchance you want to comment about the “Double Standards Approach” used you can contact

Councillor Philip Martin, Property Management and Environmental Health Portfolio email: philip.martin@shepway.gov.uk

Councillor David Monk Leader of SDC email: david.monk@shepway.gov.uk

Alistair Stewart Chief Executive SDC email: alistair.stewart@shepway.gov.uk

or

Arthur Atkins Principal Environmental Health Officer: Telephone: 01303 853242

Email: arthur.atkins@shepway.gov.uk

Shepwayvox