Savouring success with latest partnership
Good Food 2 Go and Horsham District Council have become the latest partnership to pioneer a red-tape cutting scheme to reduce time and money spent on administration, and make it even simpler to deliver safe products to customers.
The company, based in Washington, West Sussex, manufactures high quality ready-meal food products. Its innovative partnership with Horsham District Council's Food Safety Team establishes the council as its Primary Authority - a single point of contact for food hygiene issues.
There are now 19 similar Primary Authority partnerships for a raft of issues, including trading standards, environmental health and health and safety, and covering more than 14,000 business premises.
LBRO Chairman Clive Grace said: "Primary Authority is an exceptionally versatile scheme that can have a significant impact for all businesses, regardless of size, which operate across two or more council boundaries.
"It's an example of how regulation can be improved and made better for business, consumers and the local authorities who have the responsibility for enforcement. This new partnership between Horsham District Council and Good Food 2 Go adds to the momentum behind the scheme, and we expect to see many more this year."
Horsham District Council, acting as primary authority, will liaise with other councils to ensure that inspection and enforcement action reflects the advice given. It has worked with Good Food 2 Go to produce a national inspection plan, giving guidelines to other councils to avoid unnecessary checks and tests.
Cabinet Member for Planning and the Environment, Peter Rowlinson said: "Being part of this partnership shows that regulatory services can work effectively with local businesses to reduce unnecessary burdens by being the single point of contact for their food safety regulatory needs.
"This brings mutual benefits through the supporting of economic prosperity and protecting our communities by ensuring public health and safety is as good as it should be. It will mean that regulation is much more efficient and will allow businesses to focus on delivering a successful service thanks to high quality advice from the Food Safety Team at Horsham District Council."
Company Chairman of Good Food 2 Go, Steve Chamberlain, said: "I am absolutely delighted to be part of such a trail blazing scheme. It is so reassuring to know that we can work together with the enforcement team at Horsham to ensure that we are doing a everything we need to be doing at Good Food 2 Go to assure consistent standards of product quality, safety and legality.''
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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 http://www.lbro.org.uk/
Media enquiries
LBRO: Jo Barker or Roland Curtis. Tel: 0121 226 4019.
Email: jo.barker@lbro.org.uk or roland.curtis@lbro.org.uk