Community Protection News - April 2006
Environmental Health and Trading Standards
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
The recent case in Scotland of a dead swan which was found to have avian flu resulted in massive coverage in the press and on radio and television. Not surprisingly people are concerned about the possible spread of avian flu and have asked what is being done in the Borough of Wigan.
Nationally DEFRA has the responsibility for responding to the threat of avian flu. Locally the Council will assist in accordance with DEFRA’s directions.
Poultry farms with flocks of more than fifty birds are required to register with the Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In this Borough, fourteen poultry farms are registered. Given the size of the Borough this a small number when compared to the more rural areas of Lancashire. Plans are in place to deal with any outbreak of avian flu in the Borough or close by.
Information relating to avian flu can change rapidly. DEFRA’s website has up to date information on all aspects of avian flu and advice on what to do if dead birds are found. The Council’s own website has information on avian flu and links to useful sites such as DEFRA and the World Health Organisation.
If anyone needs to report dead birds, or needs advice on avian flu, they should contact the DEFRA Helpline - (08459 33 55 77).
Trading Standards Restructure
The structure of the Trading Standards service in Wigan has served the authority well for a number of years by facilitating focus of staff within the service on key priorities in relation to:-
- Advising & Assisting local consumers and businesses;
- Educating & Informing the public and young people in their consumer rights;
- Inspecting Local Traders to ensure compliance with the law;
- Targeting 'Problem' Areas of trade which lead to the most complaints.
The aspects of local trade covered within these priorities included Trade Descriptions, Fair Trading, Consumer Credit, Weights & Measures, Consumer Product Safety, Food Composition and Labelling, and literally dozens of other legislative controls on trading activity which had collectively come to be known as 'Trading Standards'.
However, over the past few years, the role of Trading Standards has gradually changed to include work on under-age sales, doorstep crime, counterfeiting and frustrating the market for secondhand goods.
Work on these and other areas often involves aspects dealt with by more than one team. Also, national and local priorities have evolved. Inspection of businesses is increasingly seen as 'red tape', to be avoided where necessary. Instead, we should use risk assessment, alternative enforcement strategies, provision of advice, and the targeting of 'rogue traders' and 'scams'.
The new structure
The new structure is intended to facilitate this change and to make improvements intended to:-
- Clarify lines of management;
- Make resources available for current and emerging priority areas of work.
Essentially, the new structure centres around three teams, with work areas outlined below:
Standards Team:
Objectives:
- To prevent unsafe goods from entering the market;
- To ensure quality food standards and accurate labelling for local consumers;
- To inspect and advise local businesses on Trading Standards legislation.
Food composition & labelling advice and guidance to local 'home authority' companies, producers, packers and retailers; sampling etc. (incl. on-farm animal feedingstuffs enforcement), investigation of food complaints.
Risk assessed inspections of all trading premises by programme (low risk via established alternative intervention strategy).
Consumer product safety advice and guidance to local businesses, sampling etc., investigation of consumer safety complaints.
Fair Trading Team:
Objectives:
- To assist local consumers and to equip them to be more informed and confident as consumers;
- To advise local businesses to help them to succeed fairly and legally;
- To deal with the 'problem traders' who persistently trade unfairly.
Consumer complaints and education, including publicity, newsletters work with local schools and other agencies through our Consumer Support Network.
Fair Play Charter and development of similar schemes for a wide range of goods and service sectors.
Dealing with "Problem traders" by use of criminal enforcement, Enterprise Act action, or the forthcoming general duty not to trade unfairly.
Crime & Community Team:
Objectives:
- To disrupt traders operating in the 'informal economy';
- To prevent harm to children and nuisance caused by illegal sales of restricted products;
- To prevent people becoming victims of commercial crime in their own homes.
Under age sales.
Doorstep crime.
Frustrating the market for stolen goods, via secondhand shops, vehicle dismantlers, car boot sales, classified advertising.
Counterfeiting, and linkages between counterfeiting activity and other serious crime.
Urban Renewal
£6M Boost for Private Homes
More action to tackle poor homes, more help for disabled residents to adapt their homes, more alleygating and environmental improvements and more affordable housing schemes.
That's what the Council is promising after winning a £6M windfall from the region's housing chiefs for private sector homes. The amount is much better than anticipated and means the Council will have over a million pounds more to spend this year than last.
Housing renewal areas like those in Abram and Platt Bridge will also benefit from extra spending, as will elderly and infirm owner occupiers who live in homes that are in poor condition.
Plans include:
- Clearance of small pockets of unfit housing in prominent locations.
- Assistance to elderly and infirm householders on low income who live in poor housing.
- Improvement to the existing travellers' site at Bickershaw (to qualify for 75% Government grant).
- Additional spending on adaptations for disabled residents.
- Additional regeneration in the six main renewal areas - Abram; Bedford; East Wigan & Ince; Firs, Heathside and Marsh Fields; Pagefield and Platt Bridge.
- Money for affordable housing schemes, to be announced when an affordable housing strategy is published later in the year.
The money for Wigan has been allocated by the North West Regional Housing Board, which was set up by the government to advise ministers on the priorities for strategic housing investment in the region.
The Choice is Yours
Following a review in November, Wigan Council, in partnership with Wigan and Leigh Housing, have made changes to the housing allocation policy – “A New Home – The Choice is Yours”.
The policy, which was implemented on 20 January 2005, follows the Government’s guidelines on Choice Based Lettings systems that emphasises customers being actively involved in choosing the home they want.
Previously properties were allocated on a ‘First Come, First Served’ (FCFS) basis. However, after the November review it became clear that customers were unhappy with this system. Customers often felt disadvantaged whichever way they accessed the system. The 9.00am bid opening time caused customers to feel pressured into trying to be the first in line for a property. This led to customers queuing outside the Property Shops from early morning.
Under the revised system all properties will be advertised on a weekly cycle and customers will have 6 days to express an interest in any property advertised. There are two parts to the scheme:
Time Based Homes
The 20% of vacant properties previously offered under FCFS will be let to the applicant who expresses an interest, meets the property criteria and has the earliest registration date.
Needs Based Homes
Remaining vacant properties, apart from a small number of direct lets, will also be advertised weekly.
These properties will be let to the applicant who expresses an interest and is in the highest band with the earliest registration date. They must also meet any property criteria.
Properties will be advertised each Thursday in the 'Property Shop weekly sheet’, which is available in all housing offices and some libraries, the Wigan and Leigh Reporter newspapers and the Property Shop website – www.propertyshop.walh.co.uk
Community Safety
Bridging the Gap
A nationally acclaimed community training programme, brought to Wigan in 2005 , has just seen 18 people graduate from the first course run in the borough.
Bridging the Gap, which won the Community Care Awards in 2004 and a national training award in 2005, provides a programme of training to ex drug and alcohol users and those affected by someone elses drug or alcohol use, to acquire the skills needed to become drug workers.
Developed and managed by ADS, a charitable organisation, Bridging the Gap is an essential part of the pathway out of drug use. The graduates were presented with their certificates at Haigh Hall last Friday at a ceremony attended by The Mayor. Some are already working as volunteers in our services and will now be looking for paid employment.
Applications are now being invited for the second course in Wigan which commences in September 2006. For more information contact Linda Corrigan, Bridging the Gap Co-ordinator on 01942 231777.
Central Watch is Changing
As part of changes within Community Protection, the security section and anti-social behaviour unit will be merging to become the Safer Neighbourhoods Section.
In Central Watch the changes mean a more proactive approach is being taken with CCTV, increasing the number of officers monitoring over 500 cameras across the borough. Areas with CCTV systems include Wigan, Leigh, Atherton, Golborne, Ashton, Hindley and Tyldesday town centres as well as Norley Hall, Borsdane and Smithy Green. Significant improvements are planned to the existing CCTV systems including converting video recording to digital, this should improve the quality of images captured.
The new section will increase partnership working with GMP, inter and across departmentally to tackle incidents of anti-social behaviour and reduce crime and disorder.
In partnership with Public Health, a further four mobile rapid deployment cameras have been purchased and will be used to gain evidence on fly tippers and clamp down on off road bikers. Integrating the Flare computer system with WALH and GMP will speed up information sharing and help the section improve the quality of life for all residents and create safer neighbourhoods across the Borough.