Committee Report Checklist
Stage 1
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Yes / No |
Date |
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Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing |
Drafts emailed to Cllr Doran for comments, meeting arranged for 26/02/2026 |
18/02/2026 |
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Commissioner engagement (if report focused on issues of concern to Commissioners such as Finance, Assets etc) |
n/a |
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Relevant Group Head review (Dave Anderson) |
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MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2) |
Circulated on 18/02/2026 |
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This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee |
yes |
22/01/2026 |
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Reviewed by |
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Finance comments (circulate to Finance) |
AB |
(details of staffing costs received from NB on 13/02/2026)25/02/26 |
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Risk comments (circulate to Lee O’Neil) |
LO |
25/02/26 |
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Legal comments (circulate to Legal team) |
LH |
27/02/26 |
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HR comments (if applicable) |
n/a |
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For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.
Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed.
Stage 2
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Completed by |
Date |
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Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
L Heron |
27/02/26 |
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S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
T.Collier |
26/2/26 |
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Confirm final report cleared by MAT |
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Title |
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Purpose of the report |
To make a decision |
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Report Author |
Fidelma Bahoshy, Joint Senior Environmental Health Manager |
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Ward(s) Affected |
All Wards |
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Exempt |
No |
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Exemption Reason |
n/a |
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Corporate Priority |
Community Environment Services |
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Recommendations
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Committee is asked to adopt both proposed service plans for 2026/2027 |
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Reason for Recommendation |
Local Authorities are required to produce and adopt service plans for their food safety and health and safety enforcement services. |
1. Executive summary of the report
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What is the situation |
Why we want to do something |
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• Spelthorne has a regulatory responsibility for both food safety and health and safety at work. We draw up Service Plans for each area which must include the aims and objectives for the year ahead and evaluate the achievements of the past plan. |
• We have statutory obligations to have both of these service plans in place and it is required that these plans be approved by Elected Members. |
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This is what we want to do about it |
These are the next steps |
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• The Service Plans outlines our objectives for next year for each area and reflects upon the work completed and any significant variations to the planned works from the previous period. |
• Adopt and implement the service plans |
2. Key issues
2.1 Local Authorities are required by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to produce service plans for their food safety and health and safety services. Each service plan must outline the aims and objectives for the year ahead and evaluate the achievements of the past period.
2.2 This report briefly outlines the main achievements of Environmental Health’s Commercial Team who is responsible for implementing both plans. The report also outlines the main objectives for this coming year.
Achievements
2.3 Food Safety Service Plan
The team continued to focus resource on the highest risk food businesses and work through the backlog of overdue lower risk inspections to satisfy the requirements of the Action Plan agreed with the Food Standards Agency in August 2024. The following table summarises some of the work undertaken:
|
|
2023 -2024 |
2024 -2025 |
2025-2026* |
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Food Inspections |
330 |
326 |
340 |
|
Complaints Investigated |
91 |
83 |
73 |
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Queries from businesses |
124 |
168 |
85 |
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Infectious Disease cases |
165 |
216 |
58 |
*full year data not yet available, accurate as of 12 February 2026
2.4 The UKSA no longer send through Campylobacter reports and this has reduced the number of infectious disease cases. This infection is the most commonly reported infections but is usually associated with food handling within the home.
2.5 The team has continued to participate in the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS); 97.7% of eligible businesses have ratings of three or above, well in excess of our target of 92%. Those businesses who are below this standard continue to be targeted for improvement with revisits and where appropriate taking further legal action against them; 1.16% of businesses have a rating of 0 or 1 (represents 8 food businesses).
2.6 In May 2025, notification was received from the FSA advising that they were satisfied that we had addressed the overdue interventions and that they would be closing their engagement. The Agency will continue to closely monitor our statutory returns to ensure that service delivery is in line with the requirements of the Food Law Code of Practice.
2.7 Health and Safety Service Plan
Reactive work was prioritised and actioned as required but there was very limited available resource to undertake proactive inspections or projects. Priority was given within the team to meeting the requirements of the FSA’s Action Plan as the risk to public health was considered more immediate and the oversight from FSA greater than from the HSE.
2.8 The team focused resources on three national projects as outlined in the previous Service Plan (electrical safety, inflatable amusement devices, and gas safety in commercial catering settings). The following table summarised some of the work undertaken:
|
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2023 -2024 |
2024 2025 |
2025-2026* |
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Health & Safety site visits |
40 |
43 |
77 |
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Enforcement notices |
6 |
3 |
7 |
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Notifiable Accidents |
28 |
35 |
29 |
Objectives
2.6 The main objectives for the Food Safety Service Plan 2026/2027 are outlined on page 4 of the plan and include a target of inspecting at least 95% of higher risk food businesses, the promotion of the FHRS with 92% of all food businesses achieving a food hygiene ratio of 3 or above, and to respond to a minimum of 95% of service requests within six days. The Food Safety Service Plan 2026/2027 is provided in Appendix 1.
2.7 The main objectives for the Health and Safety Service Plan 2026/2027 are outlined on page 3 of the plan and include targets to respond to at least 95% of service requests and accidents within six days and to participate in selected national/regional projects. The Health and Safety Service Plan 2026/2027 is provided in Appendix 2.
Review
2.8 The team has continued to provide a professional and quality service.
2.9 Due to the impacts of pressures from certain areas of work including the prioritisation of the FSA’s Action Plan there were difficulties in meeting some of the objectives set out in the previous service plans. A detailed review including identification of any variation is included on page 16 of the Food Service Plan and on page 14 of the Health and Safety Service Plan.
3. Options appraisal and proposal
3.1 There is also an option for Members to amend the proposed service plans.
3.2 There is an option for Members not to adopt the proposed service plans. This is not recommended as this would mean the Council would not be following either the Food Standards Agency’s “Framework Agreement on Local Authority Food Law Enforcement”, or the Health and Safety Executive’s Guidance, as this requires local authorities to have food and health and safety service plans and recommends that the plans relate specifically to food and health and safety enforcement.
4. Risk implications
4.1 Under the Food Standards Act 1999 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Food Standards Agency and Health and Safety Executive have powers to audit respectively any local authority’s food and health and safety enforcement services. In exceptional cases, the FSA and the HSE have the powers to take over the duties of persistently under-performing councils. Both organisations can charge their costs back for these actions. The adoption and implementation of the proposed service plans reduces the risk of intervention from these agencies and also the associated reputational damage.
4.2 Failure to deliver a functioning food safety and health and safety at work service presents a risk to the safety and health to our residents, and those working and living within the borough.
5. Financial implications
5.1 The proposed service plans will be delivered within the proposed 2026/2027 budget for the Environmental Health Service. No additional funding is requested.
6. Legal comments
6.1 The Council is a designated food authority under the Food Safety Act 1990 and must discharge the relevant enforcement functions.
6.2 The Council also must comply with the guidance and code of practice issued by the Food Standards Agency.
6.3 The Council has a statutory duty to ensure its health and safety arrangements comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety Act 1974.
6.4 This reprot will assist the COuncil in discharging its statutory duties.
Corporate implications
7. S151 Officer comments
7.1 The S151 Officer confirms that all financial implications have been taken into account and that the service plans are fully funded from within the current and the draft 2026/27 budget.
8. Monitoring Officer comments
8.1 The Monitoring Officer confirms that the relevant legal implications have been taken into account.
9. Procurement comments
9.1 There are no procurement issues associated with this report.
10. Equality and Diversity
10.1 Adoption of the proposed service plans provides a level ground for compliant businesses.
11. Sustainability/Climate Change Implications
11.1 The proposed service plans have no impact on sustainability or climate change issues.
12. Timetable for implementation
12.1 If the service plans are approved, they shall come into effect after seven days.
13. Contact
14.1 Fidelma Bahoshy – f.bahoshy@spelthorne.gov.uk
Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.
Background papers: There are none.
Appendices:
Appendix 1 - Food Service Plan 2026/2027
Appendix 2 - Health and Safety Service Plan 2026/2027