Environmental health officers (EHO)

In most cases the EHO will take their own action under the Environmental Protection Act (EPO) 1990.   They can also give evidence in court for legal proceedings or offer more general advice.

At present EHO will get involved where there is more than 5 complaints in one month and any other cases requiring their expertise.

Try to highlight the following:

• If there have been conversations with the parties and informal remedies have been explored and discounted or tried and failed. 
• If P2 hasn't been interviewed, what attempts there has been to do so.
• A case summary and any relevant history especially if either party is vulnerable or any caution issues need to be flagged up.
• If noise dairies have been kept or alternatives.
• Any independent evidence such as housing or patrol reports or observations from the caretaker or other council officers or neighbours. 
• A summary of other actions/remedies tried by Housing.

If a case does not meet them all but there is a good reason for a referral a referral can explain why a particular criteria isn’t applicable.

If a leaseholder is complaining about another leaseholder or a resident complaining about commercial premises this referral process may not be necessary (although Housing may still have a lease enforcement role).  Contact EH directly to discuss these cases.

Environmental health out of hours patrol

As with the residential security patrol this provides a useful role in attending and witnessing nuisance outside of office working hours.  They will attend when the housing patrol isn’t operating.

They are carrying out street level investigations only for the time being.

There is a Wednesday surgery where NHOs can discuss street level visits.

Current working hours are:
Monday – Thursday 6pm to 2am
Friday – 9.30pm to 4.30am
Saturday - 1.30pm to 4.30am
Sunday – 10.30am to 2am

Last calls are half an hour before each shift ends.