Local
Business Partnership
This page includes
information on:
Last Updated (12/08/04)
Introduction
Local Business Partnerships
(LBP) are part of a national initiative. They provide a framework to
enable the business community and regulators to work together to
streamline the regulation process.
All the regulators
identified support the aims of a Local Business Partnership. These
aims are:
·
when applying regulations to business to cut out any
unnecessary red tape;
·
to help businesses to understand their responsibilities
and make it easier to comply with regulations;
·
to simplify the enforcement of regulators;
·
to help regulators target enforcement effort on those
flouting the law; and
·
to ensure that businesses compete with one another on
level terms
The Partnership aspect
is about working together. All the regulators who support the
Northamptonshire Local Business Partnership welcome feedback and
ideas from business organisations, trade associations and individual
businesses on methods of improving regulation.
The intention is to
have a common goal of improving the local economy, protecting the
consumer and the environment and achieving fair competition.
Individual factsheets
summarise the basic role and scope of each regulator and where to
contact them.
All the regulators are
prepared to offer advice and information to those businesses
genuinely trying to comply with various legal requirements.
Each regulator:
·
has standards setting out their level of service and is
prepared to talk to businesses about compliance failures or
difficulties;
·
aims to be open and to provide further information,
distinguishing between obligatory requirements and those improvements
or suggestions which are not legally required;
·
aims to provide a courteous and efficient service;
·
aims to ensure that compliance costs are proportionate
to risk;
·
has a complaints system that is accessible to businesses
There are a range of
business organisations in Northamptonshire that support the
development of a Local Business Partnership in Northamptonshire.
To find out more about
the Local Business Partnership in Northamptonshire, please contact Trading Standards
Rough
Guide to Regulators
Building Control
Building regulation
consent is required for most building work. Buildings must meet
certain public safety standards including structure, drainage and
fire safety - as well as standards for energy conservation and access
for the disabled. For advice on the above and on:
·
alterations and extensions;
·
dangerous building;
·
means of escape;
·
demolition contracts
contact your local
district council.
Child Care
To protect children,
childminders, nurseries and other childcare facilities must be
registered and meet certain standards. Further advice from OFSTED www.ofsted.gov.uk
Customs and Excise - VAT
Responsible for
enforcing import and export registrations, collection of VAT and
excise duties and tariff classification. Advice from Customs and
Excise on 01604 731400 or from the National Advice Service on 0845
010 9000. For more information go to www.hmce.gov.uk
Fair Trading
Fair Trading laws aim
to make sure consumers are protected from and also help to maintain a
level playing field for business. Areas covered include:
·
price indications and credit;
·
description of goods and services;
·
weights and measures;
·
counterfeit goods;
·
under-age sales of cigarettes and videos
Further information
available from Trading
Standards
Fire Safety
All business premises
and hotels are now legally required to meet fire safety requirements
and in some cases will have to obtain a Fire Certificate prior to
trading. The storage and use of petroleum products is also covered by
legislation and requires businesses to be properly licensed. Further
advice available from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue on 01604
797700.
Food Production and Supply
Food businesses must
make sure that premises where food is processed or handled, and the
people handling the food, satisfy hygiene requirements. These
premises must be registered with the district council. Further advice
available from your local district council environmental health
department.
For requirements
concerning food labelling, advertising, descriptions, ingredients,
compositional standards, use-by dates, weights and measures etc,
further advice from Trading
Standards.
Gravel and Mineral Extraction
To maintain natural
resources and minimise environmental problems, extraction of gravel
and minerals must be approved and controlled. Further advice from
Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Management Service on 01604
236236. More information can be found on www.northamptonshire.gov.uk
Health and Safety at Work
All employers have to
maintain certain standards to protect the health and safety of their
staff while at work. Details of any accidents must be passed on to
the authority responsible for enforcing the law.
For advice on the
above and to find out detailed requirements for offices, shops,
leisure facilities and warehouses contact your local district
council.
For other work places
such as factories, farms, health services etc. contact the Health and
Safety Executive on: 01604 738300 or the HSE National Info Line on
08701 545500 or at www.hse.gov.uk
Planning
New buildings,
extensions or changing the use of existing buildings will usually
need planning permission. There are additional requirements for
buildings that are of special architectural or historical interest or
are located in a conservation area. The display of advertisements and
preservation of some trees is also controlled. Advice from your local
district council.
Planning permission is
also required for mineral extraction and for waste management and
disposal facilities. Advice from Northamptonshire's Planning,
Transportation & Environment Service on: 01604 236715 www.northamptonshire.gov.uk
Police
Advice on crime
prevention, contingency plans for public safety, firearms and
explosives licenses.
If you are in
Kettering, Corby or Oundle telephone 01536 445532
If you are in
Wellingborough or Rushden telephone 01933 440333
If you are in Northampton
telephone 01604 700700
If you are in
Daventry, Towcester or Brackley telephone 01327 303044
Alternatively, visit www.northants.police.uk
Pollution Control
Certain industrial processes
need to be authorised in order to keep a check on the air pollution
and odours they create. There are also requirements to protect
against noise pollution. Advice from your local district council,
environmental health department.
Other forms of pollution
are controlled by agencies such as the Environment Agency. Advice
from the Environment Agency on 08459 333111 or go to www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Product Safety
All products supplied
to consumers must be safe. In many cases there are requirements about
the composition and labelling. Advice from Trading Standards
Residential Care Homes
All residential care
homes irrelevant of size must be registered and meet safety
standards.
For information on
registration and inspection of independent nursing homes contact the
National Care Standards Commission on 01604 887620 or visit www.carestandards.org.uk
Waste Management
To prevent
environmental pollution and protect public health, the disposal of
all waste is carefully controlled. All businesses generate waste and
have a duty to ensure care in the transport, handling and recovery of
waste. Principally this duty can be met by checking that anyone
dealing with waste on your behalf is properly licensed and
registered. If you are running any sort of waste disposal business
you also need to be aware of the planning, licensing and registration
laws which apply. For advice on the above and on:
·
Waste disposal sites;
·
Waste carriers and brokers;
·
Special or hazardous waste;
·
Waste management licensing;
·
Minimising, recycling or re-using waste
contact the
Environment Agency on 08459 333111 www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Do I
Need A Licence
Some businesses need
to obtain a registration or licence before they can trade or sell
certain goods. The following list contains some of the most common
requirements but there are others. Fees may be chargeable and the
appropriate regulator will advise you of the current costs if
applicable.
Contact points for the
various organisations are listed at the end of this page.
|
Activity
|
Organisation
|
|
Amusements
|
Environmental
Health and Customs and Excise
|
|
Asbestos
Removal
|
Health
and Safety Executive
|
|
Betting,
Gaming and Lotteries
|
Environmental
Health and Customs and Excise
|
|
Building
Regulations
|
Local
Authority Building Control
|
|
Child
Minders
|
OFSTED
|
|
Children's
Homes
|
National
Care Standards Commission
|
|
Construction
and Demolition
|
Health
and Safety Executive
|
|
Controlled
Waste
|
Environment
Agency
|
|
Creche
|
OFSTED
|
|
Credit
|
NCC
Trading Standards
|
|
Day
Nurseries
|
OFSTED
|
|
Effluent
Discharges (not of foul sewer)
|
Environment
Agency
|
|
Explosives
|
NCC
Trading Standards
|
|
Firearms
|
Police
|
|
Fire
Certificates
|
Northamptonshire
Fire and Rescue
|
|
Fireworks
|
NCC
Trading Standards
|
|
Food
Premises
|
Environmental
Health
|
|
Land
Drainage
|
Environment
Agency
|
|
Licensing/Alcohol
for premises in Northampton Borough
|
Northampton
Borough Council 01604 838545
|
|
Licensing/Alcohol
for premises in the rest of Northamptonshire
|
East
Northamptonshire Licensing Unit 01832 742102
|
|
Manufacturing
|
Health
and Safety Executive
|
|
Mineral
Extraction
|
NCC
Minerals and Waste Planning
|
|
Hackney
Carriages
|
Environmental
Health
|
|
Kennels
and Dog Breeding
|
Environmental
Health
|
|
Nurses
Agencies
|
National
Care Standards Commission
|
|
Nursery
Schools
|
OFSTED
|
|
Nursing
Homes
|
National
Care Standards Commission
|
|
Out
of School Club
|
OFSTED
|
| 
