In March 1998 the Government's Better Regulation Unit published
an
Enforcement Concordat (new
window) which set out a blueprint for fair, practical
and consistent enforcement across the country. The concordat was
developed jointly by representatives of business, local
authorities and central government and was circulated for
adoption by enforcement agencies.
Suffolk Coastal fully supported this initiative and set out
within its enforcement policy the principles to be adopted by
all services and officers exercising any enforcement
functions.
The Council has a duty to enforce a wide range of laws relating
to public health and safety, quality of life, preservation of
public and residential amenity, maintenance of the environment and
protection of public funds. All of these activities will be carried
out in accordance with the general principles of good enforcement
practice outlined in the policy. The services falling within the
scope of this policy include:
- Licensing of taxis, premises, boats and beaches.
- Revenue recovery and the investigation of Housing Benefit,
Council Tax and Business Rate fraud.
- Pollution control, environmental protection, health and safety,
public health, food safety, imported food control and other port
health functions, house conditions, animal welfare and unauthorised
encampments.
- Planning control, building control.
In signing the concordat and adopting its enforcement
policy the Council stated its commitment to an enforcement service
which is courteous and helpful and which works with individuals and
businesses, wherever possible, to help them comply with the law.
The Council nevertheless acknowledges the need for firm action
against those that flout the law and put consumers and others at
risk. You can view the Council's policy and documents relating to
the Enforcement Concordat by following the links below:
Changes to local regulatory services
Following a wide and lengthy consultation process the Government
issued the
Statutory Regulators' Compliance Code (new
window) which came into force on 6 April 2008.
The purpose of the new code of practice is to embed a
risk-based, proportionate, targeted and flexible approach to
regulatory inspection and enforcement, without imposing unnecessary
burdens on those they regulate.
Suffolk Coastal is revising its enforcement policy to reflect
the new code.
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help
with downloading and opening PDF
files.