ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
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What are the services you provide? |
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How can I contact the Department? |
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What will happen when I log a complaint? |
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Do you deal with noise problems from
neighbours and work premises? |
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I have got a Wasp's nest, what options do I
have? |
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I have got a Bee's nest, what options do I
have? |
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I have got a Hornet's nest, what options do
I have? |
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I have got mice, what options do I have? |
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I have got rats, what options do I have? |
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I have seen rats, what should I do? |
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If I have concerns about a business, what should
I do? |
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I want to set up a business, what services
do I need to contact? |
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Do I need a licence for my business, and if
so how do I obtain one? |
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If I think I have food poisoning what
should I do? |
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I have found a foreign object in a product,
what should I do? |
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My neighbour keeps burning rubbish, what
can I do? |
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My neighbour has rats, what can I do? |
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There is a stray dog, what can I do? |
WHAT ARE
THE SERVICES YOU PROVIDE?
Environmental Health is divided into two teams:-
- Commercial Team
- Pollution Team
Together, they are responsible for the following
functions:
- Occupational Health & Safety - Workplace investigation,
accident & complaint investigation
- Food safety - Inspection of food premises, complaint
investigation, food related illness & outbreaks, food
sampling
- Registration & licensing - Accupuncturists, ear-piercers,
tattooists, riding establishments, registration of cooling
towers
- Health Promotion
- Home safety
- Air Quality Maintenance
- Noise Pollution
- Smoke Dust & Odour Nuisances
- Approval of Specified Processes
- Licensing of Pet Shops, Dog Breeders & Animal Boarders
- Zoo Licences
- Dangerous Wild Animal Licensing
HOW
CAN I CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT?
Head of Environmental Health: Annette Potts Tel: 01270
537400
Assistant Principal Environmental Health Officer (Emergency
Planning): Paul Eeles
Tel: 01270 537415
General Enquiries: Municipal Buildings
Tel: 01270 537400
Tel: 01270 537777 (emergency contact outside office
hours)
Fax: 01270 537758
WHAT
WILL HAPPEN WHEN I LOG A COMPLAINT?
Once we have received your complaint we will write to you
promptly and in any case within five working days and tell
you:-
- Who is responsible for dealing with your complaint
- How we will deal with your complaint
- When your complaint is likely to be dealt with
Generally speaking, we will respond in full within 20 working
days of that letter. If we can't we will tell you why.
If, after all this you are still not happy about the way we
have dealt with your complaint, there are other things you can
do:
1. You can contact your local
Councillor, at any time. You can get the name and address of
your Councillor from the Democratic Services and Communications
Department or from the
Councillors section of the website.
Telephone: 01270 537506. Fax: 01270 537605.
2. You can write to the Local
Government Ombudsman: Anne Seex
Commission for Local Administration in England, Beverley
House, 17 Shipton Road, York YO30 5FZ Telephone: 01904
380200.
E-mail:
complaints.york@lgo.org.uk
The Ombudsman will not get involved unless she is sure that you
have complained to the Council and given us a chance to put things
right. The Ombudsman will not usually deal with the complaint
if you have another way to appeal or if the complaint concerns a
dispute which could be settled in court.
3. If your complaint is that an
Officer or Councillor has behaved unethically or dishonestly you
can contact the Council's Monitoring Officer at: The Municipal
Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe, CW1 2BJ. Tel : 01270 537560 Fax:
01270 537605. E-mail:
council.info@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk
You can also complain directly to:
The Standards Board for England, 1st Floor, Cottons Centre,
Cottons Lane, London SE1 2QG.
Councillors and officers agree to abide by a Code of Conduct and if
they breach that code, serious consequences may follow.
DO
YOU DEAL WITH NOISE PROBLEMS FROM NEIGHBOURS AND WORK
PREMISES?
Yes, this Service investigates complaints about noise
pollution. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 gives local
authorities powers to deal with some types of noise.
If the noise pollution you wish to make a complaint about
occurs on a regular basis, you may wish to complete and return a
diary sheet detailing when the noise is affecting you and the
enjoyment of your property.
If you wish to make a complaint or obtain advice regarding
noise pollution, please contact the Service on Tel: 01270
537416.
I
HAVE GOT A WASP'S NEST, WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
There is no need to kill every wasp you see. In the
summer they perform the useful task of killing hundreds of other
insects that are themselves a problem in the home and garden.
So if wasps are tolerable, leave them alone. On the other
hand, if you are being pestered by dozens of wasps daily then there
is probably a colony nearby that you may wish to
destroy.
Wasp nests can often be located on a sunny day when wasps are
most active. By following where a wasp is flying to you may
find a hole leading to the nest in a roof, airbrick, shed or
compost heap. The colony will die in autumn and will never be
used again. You may therefore decide to wait and let the
wasps die off naturally. If you want to have the nest removed
contact us on Tel: 01270 537424. There is a charge for
this service.
I
HAVE GOT A BEE'S NEST, WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
Since Bees are protected species the Council can't remove
them. However, we can give you some details of beekeepers who will
visit your house and take the Bees away.
Tel: 01270 537424 for further information.
I
HAVE GOT A HORNET'S NEST, WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
Hornets are a protected species like Bees so the Council can
identify them but cannot treat them. A specialised handler of
Hornets may be asked to visit the property and take them
away. Tel: 01270 537424 for further information.
I
HAVE GOT MICE, WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
The Council offers a free service to all residents to
eradicate house mice. We use poisoned bait, wherever possible
in small boxes away from children and pets. If you prefer,
you could employ a private pest control contractor or buy traps and
poison from a hardware shop to use yourself. Tel: 01270
537424 for further information.
I
HAVE GOT RATS, WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
If you see any signs of rats in your house or garden, please
contact the Council as soon as possible on Tel: 01270
537424. We offer a free survey and eradication service to all
residents. We use poisoned bait, wherever possible away from
children and pets.
Please clear any food spills thoroughly. Take care that
all waste foods are disposed of into your refuse bin and not left
lying around in bags or sacks. If you are composting, do not
use meat or cooked products.
Bird food is a tasty treat to vermin, so use a rat-proof bird
table.
Seal up any gaps around pipes going through walls, repair
broken airbricks or drains quickly and make sure doors fit
properly.
I
HAVE SEEN RATS, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Please contact the Council as soon as possible. We will
investigate and identify appropriate sites for treatment.
Tel: 01270 537424 for further information.
IF
I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT A BUSINESS WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If this is an environmental health issue please contact
Tel: 01270 537416. However if this is a trading
standards issue you will need to contact:
Cheshire County Council, Trading Standards, Backford Hall,
Chester CH1 6EA
I
WANT TO SET UP A BUSINESS, WHAT SERVICES DO I NEED TO
CONTACT?
There are a number of services available ranging from refuse
collection to business rates and business advice, details of which
can be found within the Council's website.
DO
I NEED A LICENCE FOR MY BUSINESS AND IF S0, HOW DO I OBTAIN
ONE?
IF
I THINK I HAVE FOOD POISONING WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you think you may be suffering from an infectious disease,
visit your GP who will take a faecal sample for analysis.
Your GP will then contact this Service if your sample contains food
poisoning micro-organisms to enable us to undertake further
investigations. If you think you have food poisoning as a
result of eating at a premises in the Borough contact us on
Tel: 01270 537416.
Information leaflets are available for the following;
- Campylobacter
- Salmonella
- Giardia
- Dysentery
- Cryptosporidium
Reports of infectious disease are investigated by Officers
employed by the Service. Outbreaks are investigated by an
Environmental Health Officer (EHO) as a lead officer with
assistance from other EHO's and Technical Officers. Outbreaks
will be investigated in conjunction with the Health Protection
Agency at Chester.
For more information refer to this section of our
website.
I HAVE
FOUND A FOREIGN OBJECT IN A PRODUCT, WHAT SHOULD I
DO?
Again, look on our website for more information.
MY
NEIGHBOUR KEEPS BURNING RUBBISH, WHAT CAN I DO?
The Environmental Health Service is able to deal with
complaints relating to air pollution.
For further advice or to make a complaint, contact the Service
on Tel: 01270 537416.
MY
NEIGHBOUR HAS RATS, WHAT CAN I DO?
Report what you have seen and we will investigate.
THERE IS A STRAY DOG, WHAT CAN I
DO?
Report the situation to the Dog Warden Service. The
Environmental Wardens will collect dogs that are straying in public
places. The dogs are taken to a local kennels where they are kept
for three days to await collection by their owner. If after
that time they are not collected, they are transferred to Stoke
City Dogs Home. They may be re-homed if they are not claimed
within seven days.