Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Members for Culture, Economy and Skills, Environment, Climate Change and Operations, and Housing Services is attached.

Councillor Alan Quinn, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations, presented the report which outlined the updates needed to the enforcement policy within the Public Protection Service. Members discussed the level of discretion officers had in decision making under this policy, and noted that that Member involvement was welcomed but that the Cabinet Member strongly trusted officer recommendations in these matters.

Decision:

Cabinet approved the adoption of the revised enforcement policy which will ensure fair and transparent use of enforcement action and activities through existing delegated powers arrangements to officers in their statutory and non-statutory enforcement activities.

Reasons for the decision:

The revised enforcement policy is an essential requirement to ensure that the Council adopts a consistent and fair approach to enforcement and the current enforcement policy no longer reflects recent changes to enforcement strategies and regulatory enforcement options available to the Council.

The revised enforcement policy will ensure that the Council’s regulatory services operate under a Policy which has been reviewed in line with good governance.

The revised enforcement policy will provide a number of regulatory services across the Council with a clear policy to ensure that enforcement, when absolutely required, is conducted in a consistent, proportionate, transparent and targeted fashion.

Other options considered and rejected:

Not updating the policy could be considered an option, however for the purposes of good governance, best practice and to reflect the changes in legislation, regulation and enforcement options available to Council enforcement officers to ensure the policy reflects current operational practices and enforcement options.