What We Do for You

	Trading Standards
	Torbay Council
	Roebuck House Abbey Road Torquay TQ2 5TF
	trading.standard s@torbay.gov.uk
	01803 208038
	01803 208043

Do It Online

External Links

What We Do for You

Give You Clear Information and Help

We publish general guidance leaflets to help you comply with legal requirements which we enforce. These cover such areas as food and textile products and the safety of consumer goods. We can also provide more detailed advice for individual enquiries. If your business activities extend beyond Torbay you may wish the Service to act as the point of contact or “Home Authority” for you for matters raised by other Trading Standards Authorities relating to your business. More detailed information on this service is available on request. Link to leaflets on the web?

Ensure Open Decision Making by Us

In providing guidance and advice, or in respect of any of our dealings with you, our staff will always be willing to discuss details of your particular case and the reasoning behind their decisions. Where there are obligatory requirements this will be made clear to you to distinguish it from advice on “good practice”. The advice will always include a reference to the relevant legislation under which it is given.

Adopt a Professional Approach to You

Our staff are trained and have experience in enforcing legal requirements. When they visit you, or you contact them, they will always give their name and carry out their work in a polite and helpful manner. All our staff carry authorities, which identify them and their powers and/or identity cards which they will produce to you if you ask to see them.

Consult Our Customers

We work closely with trade associations and professional bodies and will follow advice about interpretation of the law given by Central Government Departments or through the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS). We invite comments about our service plan and on the quality of service provided to businesses through satisfaction surveys.

Give Value for Money

Much of the service we provide is free of charge. However, where we do make charges such as those for the testing or hire of weighing or measuring equipment, you will be advised in advance of the costs. Our charges are agreed and published annually by the Council. See our schedule of fees for business.

If you have a complaint or you are not satisfied with any aspect of the work of the Trading Standards Service in Torbay, then let us know so we can, if appropriate, take action to put matters right. Where you feel this has not happened then contact the Trading Standards Manager with details of your complaint and the reasons for your dissatisfaction. The Council has a formal complaints procedure which may be invoked in these circumstances. Alternatively, if you prefer, please complete the Online Corporate Complaints procedure or online feedback form via the link on the Do It Online Panel.

Our Promises of Service to You

Responding to You

If you write to us we aim to acknowledge receipt of your letter within five working days.

Giving Advice and Guidance on Legal Requirements

If you ask us for general information we aim to respond within five working days. If you require a detailed response to a specific enquiry about the law's application to your business we will try to reply within 20 working days. If your enquiry is likely to take longer to answer you will be told this and also who is dealing with your enquiry and the anticipated date of completion.

Testing and Certifying Your Weighing and Measuring Equipment to Legalise its Use in Trader

When you ask us to come to your premises to verify your equipment we will arrange to do the work within five working days unless a longer period is agreed. If you choose to submit the equipment to our office for verification we will complete the work within five working days unless otherwise agreed with you.

If You Have a Complaint Regarding Us or Our Services

If you have cause to complain about us or our services, we will, within two working days acknowledge receipt of your complaint and tell you the name of the officer who will investigate it. At the same time we will give you information about how your complaint will be dealt with under the Council's procedure for handling complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the service we provide, please contact the Trading Standards manager.

Animal Movement Licence

In the aftermath of the Foot and Mouth outbreak a rigorous regime of licensing which controls the movement of a range of animals has been introduced. The most common animals whose movements have to be licensed are sheep, pigs and cows.

The conditions which apply to these movements vary according to the type of animal, the destination and the type of trip. In addition, these conditions are constantly being altered and so it is important that you make yourself aware of the latest conditions when applying for a movement licence.

In certain conditions all that is necessary is for you to complete the licence and forward the copies as laid down. The licences can be obtained from your local Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs office.

We are the enforcement authority for farm animal welfare and for disease prevention on farms, during transportation. We undertake spot checks on farms and livestock vehicles.

We are responsible along with other agencies including DEFRA, Her Majesties Customs and Excise and the Police for enforcing the legal control measures to prevent Rabies entering the UK. In addition, should any farm animal disease be confirmed within the UK and or in Torbay we have contingencies in place to work with the above agencies and other organisations to eradicate it.

Most livestock currently moves from place to place under the controls of a General Licence. Notification of movements must be made to the local authority where the destination premises is located, for instance if a Torbay farmer buys sheep from Cornwall, then they must inform us when the sheep arrive on their livestock holding in Torbay. Currently Devon County Council process the Animal Movement Licence Documents for Torbay so notification can also be made to Devon. Notification of Cattle movement must be made to the British Cattle Movement Service.

We also investigate breaches of the General Licence and other disease and welfare issues.

For further information or advice on animal movement contact Devon Trading Standards They provide an animal health and welfare advice line for farmers on:- 0845 1551999

Feed & Agriculture

Trading Standards are responsible for ensuring that legislation regarding Feed, and Animal Health and Welfare and Food Hygiene at primary production premises are complied with.

We aim to ensure that:
Disease controls are complied with.
Farm animal welfare standards are met.
Animal feed and fertilisers are of a satisfactory quality and safe for use.
Food hygiene at places of primary production is controlled
Contingency plans for Foot and Mouth, rabies, anthrax and other diseases are in place.

If you are dissatisfied with the service we provide, please contact the Trading Standards manager

Related Documents

To view any published Related Documents for this service you will require the appropriate software. To download this software please see our documents help page. All links to documents will open in a new window. To request documents and files in an alternative format please contact us using the contact information provided on this page.