(Chairman) To receive a presentation regarding the work of the Council’s Public Health Team from J Nolan, Assistant Director (Environment and Neighbourhoods).
Minutes:
The Neighbourhoods Services Assistant Director, J Nolan, made a presentation on the work of the Public Health Team. The presentation also covered environmental pollution and issues around air quality.
Neighbourhoods Services incorporated the following services areas:
· Public Health Team
· Neighbourhoods Team
· Licensing Team
· Leisure Management
· North Weald Airfield
· Emergency Planning
· Corporate Health and Safety
Public Health had developed during the 19th century when sanitary inspectors were employed in 1875. Public health inspectors had come in by 1955. Environmental health officers (EHOs) originated from 1972 and training took eight years to complete. EHOs inspected all food premises and inspections covered hygiene, training and management systems. The food hygiene rating went from zero up to five for the best. However, it was not compulsory for food ratings to be displayed at the establishments’ premises in England. It was likely that the law would be changed next year for this to become compulsory. There were just over 1,200 registered food businesses in the District and just over half had been routinely inspected, on a risk basis, last year. High risk food establishments were inspected every six months, while those deemed to be low risk were usually every three years. During inspections, food and swab samples would be taken and analysed. Enforcement action would be instigated if necessary. Last year 258 written warnings were issued and three Hygiene Improvement Notices. Voluntary closure was the first option, of which there was one last year, otherwise a ‘forced’ closure would be compulsory.
Health and safety enforcement was divided between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities. The Council was responsible for 4,469 premises and was required to carry out twelve intelligence led H&S inspections last year. It had also received 36 accident notifications via RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). Some of these could become lengthy cases. A project looking at carbon monoxide emissions from open fuel cooking appliances using charcoal had been conducted by Public Health, which had instigated changes to the way restaurants use these appliances.
Infectious Disease Control covered various diseases but those most likely to occur involved acute infectious hepatitis, food poisoning, haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and Legionnaires Disease. However, not all cases of food poisoning were from food, but could be from the norovirus stomach bug.
Environmental pollution encompassed 42 permitted processes and could range from major industrial users to residents bonfires, or from dry cleaners’ solvents. Most complaints (37) were in relation to bonfires. Monitoring of nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels was carried out in the District. The District had one Air Quality Management Area. There were 75 NOx monitors analysed monthly at 28 locations. One such location was at Bell Common where two houses fronted onto the T-junction with Theydon Road at the traffic lights.
Looking forwards domestic wood burners might be covered by new legislation. The Public Health Team was also involved in health promotion and organised basic food hygiene courses for establishments in the District to publicise best practice and minimise food poisoning. It promoted the Christmas turkey campaign, summer BBQ campaign and supported World AIDS Day, National No Smoking Day, Clean Air Day and the Littering Campaign.
On animal welfare, the Council had a contract with Waltham Forest Borough Council to deal with stray dogs in the District. During 2017/18 there were 35 dogs collected of which the majority were re-homed. Pest control (114 complaints were received), dog fouling, animal welfare licensing (including licensing of dangerous dogs) were all covered by Neighbourhood Services.
The Neighbourhoods Team was set up as part of the Safer, Cleaner, Greener Initiative. The uniformed officers dealt with fly-tipping, littering, graffiti, fly-posting, noise nuisance complaints and many more. Fly-tipping in the District was on the increase and currently took up 56 per cent of officers’ time, as they dealt with 2,338 incidents last year compared to 1,600 in 2010. Officers had used to carry out high visibility patrols on littering and helped promote education in schools on littering, but this had all stopped because fly-tipping had risen dramatically. Noise nuisance complaints (1,384 were received) took up 33 per cent of officers’ time.
The Licensing Team handled 4,500 licences per year. Various licenses were issues under the Licensing Act 2003, Gambling Act 2005, Public Hire and Hackney Carriage licensing. The Police, who were a statutory consultee in the licensing process, had reviewed four licences. Special treatment licences, i.e. for tattooing, were also issued and the Neighbourhoods Team would look at hygiene, equipment and procedures that were in place to reduce the risk of hepatitis.
On Leisure Management, there were four leisure centres that came under the contract the Council had with Places for People.
North Weald Airfield brought in an income of £750,000 per annum and covered 5,000 square metres. A regular market was located there. The Air Ambulance and National Police Air Force (NPAF) were based at the airfield. It would also be used in a major disaster to accommodate large numbers of people should the need occur for their relocation, or in the event of the Council being required to co-ordinate a response to the death of a senior national figure.
The Council was a Category 1 Responder, which was the same level as Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. It was also a member of the Essex Resilience Forum and took part in multi-agency exercises for major disasters. Examples of major incidences that had occurred previously in the District included flooding of the River Roding, an unexploded bomb in Roydon at Dobbs Weir Road, unexploded ordinance at Waltham Abbey, the Nazeing wood yard fire, a Debden gas explosion, a Loughton gas leak and a fire at Limes Farm, Chigwell.
The Council also had a corporate responsibility to look after the staff, premises, a duty of care to visitors and those also interacting with staff. L Lipscombe was the Council’s new Contingency Planning and Safety Officer. She would be reviewing all the Council’s safety policies. Regarding the Transformation Programme project closure (agenda) report on the pandemic flu plan, the Council had a duty to prepare and this was an example of the concern to maintain essential services.
Lastly there had only been one exhumation in 2017/18. Half of all exhumations were as a result of moving remains from one cemetery to another.
The following questions were received from members.
Councillor J H Whitehouse asked about dog fouling, to which J Nolan, the Assistant Director (Neighbourhood Services), said the Neighbourhoods (NBHs) Team would investigate complaints received.
Councillor S Neville asked about air pollution monitoring in the District and if Buckhurst Hill was the area that had the highest pollution. J Nolan replied that pollution in the District was mainly from vehicles, plus from idling and stationary traffic in queues. A record of the Council’s monitoring sites was available on the Essex Air website at: http://www.essexair.org.uk/AQInEssex/LA/EppingForest.aspx On car idling, how successful was the Council in stopping this? J Nolan replied that a change in legislation had recently authorised officers to cover this problem. However, people would need to be advised of the legislation change by the Council as they would be unaware. After a few months, probably around autumn, the NBHs Team would then enforce this. Councillor S Neville referred to a question put to Council in April 2018 about enforcement action taken at Buckhurst Hill and asked to see the report. J Nolan would ask the officer to supply a copy of the report.
J Nolan asked members for suggestions of how the Council could use the change in legislation to target idling in the District? The Chairman suggested buses, to which J Nolan commented that sometimes public service vehicles were covered by other legislation.
Councillor K Chana asked if food safety inspections were announced in advance, to which the reply was, no.
Councillor R Brookes asked how the Council screened complaints from the public on food poisoning, as to whether they were genuine, for instance if they had eaten at a certain restaurant. J Nolan replied that it was rare if there had only been one person that had got sick, as usually there would be multiple cases. Public Health officers would go and investigate and take food and swab samples from the premises. Councillor R Brookes asked if 10 per cent of complaints would prove to be genuine cases of food poisoning. J Nolan said that people did genuinely think that they had food poisoning, but around three quarters of cases reported would have originated at home.
Councillor H Brady asked about staff resources, to which J Nolan replied that there were six Environmental Health officers, nine Neighbourhoods officers and four (equivalent) full time posts in Licensing.