Conservative councillors brand latest NELC cut plans 'foolhardy'
PROPOSED cutbacks to Trading Standards have been described as "foolhardy" and the "wrong move" by Conservative councillors.
North East Lincolnshire Council is planning to remove the equivalent of one and a half full-time officer posts from the department as part of its 2013/14 budget.
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One position will be removed altogether, while the other role will be split between trading standards and the licensing department.
The move will save £25,000 next year, as well as helping to generate an extra £16,000 through the increase enforcement of taxi and gambling licenses.
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However, it would also result in a reduction in food premises inspections and investigations into unfair trading, among other activities.
Speaking at the final budget scrutiny meeting yesterday, Councillor Iain Colquhoun (Con, Waltham) said: "We are taking an officer who is charged with the safety of the public, food safety and firework safety, and putting them in charge of making sure taxi drivers are dressed correctly, and that is not a good move.
"We should keep the officer in trading standards.
"It says in the report that the service has stopped doing low risk work and that this will reduce the medium and high risk activities and that seems to be the wrong move."
Councillor John Fenty (Con, Humberston & New Waltham) said: "I simply can't agree with this. It is essential that we peg our service at a level that protects the public from food poisoning and I think it is absolutely foolhardy to make a reduction in this area. I think it would make us vulnerable quite frankly."
However, council leader Chris Shaw (Lab, Sidney Sussex) said that keeping the post within trading standards would not allow the council to generate extra income through taxi and gambling licensing enforcement, and that savings would therefore have to be found elsewhere.
As part of the proposal, the council will generate an extra £5,000 by introducing new style plates for taxis, £12,000 by raising taxi fees in line with the regional average and £6,000 by increasing Gambling Act license fees for amusement arcades, bingo halls and betting shops.
By contrast trading standards activities do not provide an income for the council.
Other proposals presented to the safer and stronger communities scrutiny panel included a £33,000 saving by removing the post of the Community Safety Team Coordinator and a £29,000 saving on rent by withdrawing staff from buildings owned by partner organisations and relocating them in council premises.
10 Comments
by Beagleyes
Sunday, January 27 2013, 10:22PM
“Ah I see that our local Tory councillors have managed to pass comments on the proposed changes to trading standards / environmental health departments
Cllrs from the Local Tory party you have passed comment but once again you fail to come up with a credible plan
Same old same old”
by williampink
Saturday, January 26 2013, 9:11PM
“It must be time now abolish the affiliation of councilors from political parties. If they were all independent there would be no cross party blame culture and toeing the party line. They could then spend more time trying to make life easier for their constituents.When was the last time you spoke to your ward councilor.To busy being busy perhaps.”
by onlyapound
Saturday, January 26 2013, 5:58PM
“This cutback is nothing less than a charter for rogue traders.
If you're a dodgy builder or car mechanic you now know where to come and set up business!”
by 1812o
Saturday, January 26 2013, 2:54PM
“*****OZZIE AND HIS TREBLE DIP RECESSION*****"
It's a result of Ozzie's savage TOO DEEP TOO QUICK austerity cuts.
It's small wonder that this is the state of the polls:
CON 33%
LAB 43%
LDEM 10%
UKIP 9%
Nice one Ozzie!
We can't afford to wait until 2015 to get rid of him, there'll be nothing left by then.”
by BaWSox
Saturday, January 26 2013, 1:10PM
“Cue an increase in food poisoning then if they're cutting these food premises inspections.
Nice to see our council putting profits before health. Absolutely disgusting.
LABOUR OUT! SHAW OUT!”
by mistletoe50
Saturday, January 26 2013, 12:51PM
“If the council wants to make cut backs like shutting the rent office in town saving on wages ,, then why cant they get rid of some of the counsellors and save some cash there . Cut their expenses i bet that would save a tidy sum . Same applies to the government they are cutting wages , benefits etc i havent seen anywhere that Mps are taking a wage cut .....”
by justsaying
Saturday, January 26 2013, 10:32AM
“"trading standards activities do not provide an income for the council"
Says it all!”
by Wilderness
Saturday, January 26 2013, 10:09AM
“Why are NELC advertising jobs paying £120,000 a year? That's only £22,000 less than the Prime Minister of the UK.”
by davendogs
Saturday, January 26 2013, 10:00AM
“I'm not fussed what a taxi driver wears, so long as driving skills are cometent, the car clean and a friendly nature. The rest of us will suffer with increased fees, a lack of arbitration by trading standards should we ever need them. I don't find too much wrong with the last paragraph.”
by justsaying
Saturday, January 26 2013, 9:38AM
“"Chris Shaw (Lab, Sidney Sussex) said that keeping the post within trading standards would not allow the council to generate extra income through taxi and gambling licensing enforcement"
Why cant the Labour led council generate some extra income by doing some enforcement of regulations to prevent people littering and leaving dog mess. Our streets are filthy because there is no longer any deterrent because, as reported in the Telegraph, there are just a handful of enforcement notices being issued.
Taxi drivers are finding business hard enough as it is to stay in business without being used to raise revenue? How does it help them to have to buy a new style plate and pay increased fees.
Cutting the number of a food premises inspections and investigations into unfair trading protects the public - obviously this is not important enough to Cllr Shaw and his Labour friends!!!”