Brasserie Blanc And Bristol City Council Toast Regulatory Success
CHEF Raymond Blanc's group of brasseries - Brasserie Blanc - has signed up to a new regulatory relationship, as part of a pioneering UK scheme for better local regulation.
The company behind the high quality, family friendly, good value, eateries has created an innovative partnership with Bristol City Council, establishing the local authority as its single point of contact for health and safety and food hygiene issues.
Primary Authority (PA), run by the public body for better local regulation LBRO, provides companies with reliable and consistent regulatory advice from a single source - the Primary Authority - when dealing with key aspects of environmental health, trading standards and licensing services. Government estimates suggest the scheme could eventually save business across the UK up to £50 million a year.
Brassserie Blanc Managing Director, John Lederer, said: "It's wonderful that we have one authority which can efficiently ensure all our brasseries are run to the same high standards. We look forward to working with Bristol City Council as our Primary Authority".
Bristol City Council Public Health Services Manager, Adrian Jenkins, said: "Bristol City Council is keen to work closely with businesses, supporting their economic prosperity and protecting our communities, by ensuring public health and food safety is consistently as good as it can be."
LBRO Chair Clive Grace said: "This shows that the Primary Authority scheme has its own star quality! The partnership between Brasserie Blanc and its regulators, will allow it to focus on delivering a prosperous high quality business, relying on high quality regulatory advice from Bristol City Council."
Primary Authority is available to all businesses, regardless of size, which operate across two or more council boundaries, including small and medium-sized enterprises which trade over the internet.
For businesses a primary authority partnership will mean consistency of local inspection and enforcement activity. Currently businesses can run the risk of prosecution even if they follow official advice if local inspectors disagree about how to interpret regulations. This lack of consistency can also result in discrepancies in protection for consumers, workers and the environment.
For local authorities primary authority will provide the opportunity to influence compliance nationally via the primary authority giving advice to its partner business as well as saving other local authorities resources by allowing them to focus inspection activity where it is most needed.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Primary Authority scheme was designed by the Better Regulation Executive and approved by Parliament as part of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008. Primary Authority came into law on 6 April 2009. Primary Authority partnerships are available to any business that trades across two or more council boundaries, regardless of size. Small businesses that sell from websites, for example, have the same access to consistent advice about trading standards and health and safety rules as big manufacturing or construction companies. The scheme will improve compliance to the benefit of business, consumers and communities.
2. The Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) helps local authorities improve their environmental health, trading standards, fire safety and licensing services - reducing burdens on businesses that comply with the law while targeting those who flout it. It was incorporated as a government-owned limited company in May 2007. Following the commencement of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 on 1 October 2008, it now operates as an executive non-departmental public body, accountable to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills through the Better Regulation Executive. LBRO is governed by an independent Board, has a staff of around 25 and is based in central Birmingham. Our remit covers the whole of the UK and we liaise closely with the devolved administrations to ensure our work in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is appropriate. For further information please visit www.lbro.org.uk
3. Bristol City Council has been awarded National Food Champions status (2008-2010) by the Food Standards Agency, for improving community diet and nutrition. To discuss this or the Primary Authority partnership, with Bristol City Council, please contact Adrian Jenkins on 0117 922 2106.
Media enquiries to Jo Barker
Tel: 0121 226 4019.
Email: jo.barker@lbro.org.uk