Agenda item

Worcestershire Regulatory Services Annual Report 2017/2018

Meeting of Worcestershire Regulatory Services Board, Thursday 21st June 2018 4.30 p.m. (Item 10/18)

Minutes:

The Board considered a report which detailed the Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) Annual Report 2017/2018.

The Head of Regulatory Services, WRS, informed Members that the report covered the performance of the service for that period, both in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and highlights of activity, with a short summary activity report, as detailed at Appendix 5 to the report. Appendix 5 to the report had been reduced since the Board now received a separate Activity and Performance Data report which provided more detail.

The Annual Report also gave a summary of the financial position, key achievements and covered issues relating to human resources, risk management and equalities.

Generally performance had remained good. Food business compliance rates remained high. Taxi license renewals were dealt with in a reasonable time in the main. The taxi fleet appeared to be generally in good order, although the results from enforcement exercises suggested that some drivers / operators needed to pull their socks up in terms of maintaining vehicles. Complaints against the service were significantly exceeded by compliments. It is understood that the main issue for complaints related to paying for the cost of stray dogs.

The indicators for licensed premises and noise complaints had been in place long enough now in order to establish good base-lines. The former showed that generally licensed premises in the County were well managed. The figures could now be used, along with intelligence, to focus enforcement resources in a proactive way to tackle any individual premises, although these were few and far between.

Most complaints related to minor nuisance issues, usually created when a venue introduced a novel activity like live music to diversify its activities. The rate of noise complaints was relatively low and probably reflective of the general environment in Worcestershire.

In response to questions from Members, the Head of Regulatory Services, WRS, informed the Board that there was an increase in noise / nuisance intolerance. Premises were looking to diversify into different activities, but residents living nearby did not want that level of noise. Hence, he would envisage more complaints when premises tried to diversify, but members of the public could deal with and report any issues directly to the service now.

With regard to cross border hiring of taxis, the host authority’s Principal Solicitor, Ms. C. Flanagan reminded Members that such questions were, strictly speaking, the remit of individual partner authorities and that policy in these areas was reserved to them. On that basis, the Board needed to be careful not to stray into issues for which it had no remit. Members asked the wider officer members of the Board to consider whether an information report would be appropriate for presentation to the next meeting of the Board, or whether an alternative way of informing them of the issues around cross border hiring could be arrange.

The Chairman thanked the Head of Regulatory Services, WRS for an excellent report.

RESOLVED:

(a) that the Worcestershire Regulatory Services Annual Report 2017/2018 be noted; and

(b) that a copy of the Worcestershire Regulatory Services Annual Report 2017/2018 be forwarded to the Chief Executive, Managing Director and Members of six partner authorities.

Supporting documents: