Issue - meetings

This report provides Members with an overview of the Cabinet Member presentation on Environmental Health and Health services.

On behalf of the Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Economy, the Leader (Councillor M Boughton) provided a comprehensive update in respect of the Council’s Environmental Health and Health services, outlining the functions and staffing of the teams within the services, links to the Council’s Corporate Strategy and the Annual Service Delivery Plan, service performances, key achievements, challenges and future plans.

As explained in the presentation, the Environmental Protection Team was responsible for handling nuisance complaints, contaminated land enquiries, air quality monitoring and commenting on planning and licensing applications; the Food and Safety Team was responsible for conducting inspections of food premises to ensure compliance with food hygiene legislations, including food sampling and health and safety investigation of complaints; and the One You Team focused on healthy lifestyle advice, including running health walks and Weight Management Programmes, delivered for and through funding from the Public Health function of the Kent County Council.

Whilst welcoming the significant achievements of the Council’s Environmental Health and Health Services, Members also recognised the key challenges faced by them, such as managing public expectations, increasing numbers of new food businesses, complex casework, national difficulties in recruiting and retaining regulatory services officers and funding dependency for the One You Team which led to uncertainty in long-term planning.  The Council continued to commit to embed environmental health and health priorities into the Council’s Corporate Strategy going forward.

In response to questions raised by Members regarding the Council’s role in promoting healthy living and influence on public health, it was clarified that, given the statutory public health duties resting with the County Council, the Borough Council sought to influence health through wider determinants such as housing, income, leisure and close partnership with public health authorities to support community initiatives.  Particular reference was made to the healthy living programmes delivered by the One You Team, which were well received within the community despite challenges arising from the funding constraint.