Issue - meetings

ES

 20206

The Committee was briefed that a backlog of food safety inspections had accrued as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing shortages. As well as the backlog there was the additional pressure created by 387 new unrated businesses that had been registered during the previous year and would also need to be inspected. The report that was presented to Members set out the Council’s plan for dealing with the backlog of cases. Two agency workers had been recruited in the last few months to assist in clearing the backlog. A Member suggested that the size of the Food Safety Team might need to increase and noted that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) were in regular contact with the local authority to assess progress. The Chairman commented that whilst the FSA were content with the Plan that Bromley had proposed they recognised that the backlog would not be cleared this year. .

The Head of Trading Standards and Community Safety said that he would be reporting back to the Assistant Director for Public Protection and Enforcement in either January or February 2023 and that the update would be noted on the Performance Overview report.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the Food Safety Service Plan for 2022-2023 (Appendix A of the report).