Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Ross Garrod.

Apologies for lateness were received from John Hill.

No declarations of pecuniary interest were received.

It was moved by Councillor Pamela Fleming, seconded by Councillor Rita Palmer and

RESOLVED:  That Councillor Nick Draper be appointed Chair of the Committee for the municipal year 2016/17.

The Committee wished to place on record their thanks to Councillor Judy Saunders for her contribution to the Committee during the previous two years.

Item 4 (Food Hygiene Rating System) was amended to read “Curry Master Chef competition”.

Item 7 (Fees and Charges) was amended to reflect that the Committee had asked officers to determine costs associated with the provision of discretionary fees and in particular charges relating to street trading and special treatment licences.

RESOLVED:  That, subject to the amendments shown above, the minutes are agreed as an accurate record of the meeting.

The Head of the Regulatory Services Partnership, Paul Foster, presented this report in detail and invited comments and questions. Key matters discussed were as follows:

Paul Foster explained that the service adopts an escalated approach to enforcement  that ranges from verbal advice through to written warnings, legal notices and in the worst cases prosecution. Closure of a business or process only takes place when there is an imminent risk of injury to health.

The Committee recorded thanks to all officers involved in work relating to Rugby World Cup.

The Committee suggested that there should be some positive publicity around the work being done with regard to air quality, given that the Joint Service is at the forefront of authorities tackling poor air quality.  Members asked that the Communications Teams in both authorities are contacted for advice on how best to publicise both the work planned and underway.

With regard to the data provided in Appendix A, Councillor Pamela Fleming asked why the rates of test purchases are lower in Richmond.  Paul Foster explained that the service had a number of staff vacancies which have now been filled. Furthermore, the Police Cadets, who generally assist with these exercises, have not been available.  John Hill advised that that LB Merton have recently entered into a two year agreement with the London Fire Brigade for a youth cadet scheme, and they will assist with test purchases.

The Chair thanked Paul Foster for the useful and informative report and sought reassurance that the staffing levels in the service are sufficient to deliver the service plan.  In response, Paul Foster advised that he considered the staffing levels to be adequate to achieve the outcomes detailed in the service plan, but this was due to a deliberate targeting of limited resources at high risk premises/activities at the expense of lower risk premises and non-statutory work. He also advised that the service has been set challenging income targets for the next three years. The Head of Public Protection, John Hill reassured the Committee that the shared service meant that challenges can be met and resilience increased and he advised the Committee that the Partnership was awarded an LB Merton Excellence Award for Team of the Year in 2015, for which the Committee extended congratulations to the entire team. 

RESOLVED:  That the Committee notes the review of the annual performance of the Regulatory Services Partnership.

The Head of the Regulatory Services Partnership, Paul Foster, presented the report which gives details of costs associated with the administration and enforcement of discretionary licence fees levied by Merton and Richmond, and in particular, street trading and special treatments. 

The Committee noted that currently each authority has a different mechanism in place for raising charges.  Officers acknowledged that this is the case.  Jon Freer, the Assistant Director, Development and Street Scene, LB Richmond suggested that a single charging structure across the entire service would be beneficial for the customer. 

The Committee asked that officers bring a report to the October meeting presenting a range of options for charging, including a single charging mechanism for both authorities within the Partnership.  The Chair asked that the report include the possible impact on the business of the Partnership, and any risk to achievement of income targets.

Noting that this was the last meeting that Jon Freer would attend, the Committee formally thanked him for his work in helping to set up the joint service.

RESOLVED:  That the Joint Regulatory Committee note the contents of the report.