September 2024
Street racing banned in the Black Country
Street racers beware!
Two men and a woman who organised illegal street racing in the West Midlands have been handed lengthy jail sentences in a major victory on our fight against the dangerous gatherings.
Read the full news release about the latest successful court case
Freeth Street, Oldbury
Rapid Response Operatives responded to four seperate fly-tipping incidents that occured in a hotspot area of Sainsbury's overflow car park in Oldbury. General household rubbish, gas bottles and appliances were dumped in the clothing recycling area. Upon investigating evidence provided by West Midlands Police, £1000 Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued to all four offenders for fly-tipping.
Barley Fields, Tividale
Rapid Response Operatives responded to reports of a fly tip in Barley Fields, Tividale where a homeowner had paid a man with a van £60 to remove rubbish from their property. The resident didn’t use or check that the person they used was a licensed waste carrier and could not provide the required paperwork; the homeowner was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £600 for failing in their Household Waste Duty of Care.
Health and Safety Action
A pub in West Bromwich was served with a Prohibition notice under the Health and Safety at Work legislation, for an unguarded cellar hatch behind the bar. When the cellar hatch was open there was a risk of someone falling down the hatch as there was no suitable guard placed around the hatch nor any suitable means of restricting access to the unmanned bar servery area. The business has since fitted a suitable guard.
Reports were received from a contractor that they had safety concerns around the use of a mincing machine in a butchers in Oldbury. There was access to the moving parts of the mincer and they were concerned that someone could put their hand into the feeder when feeding meat into the mincer which posed a significant risk of injury. Advice was given by the contractor and when an Environmental Health Officer visited with the intention of serving a prohibition notice under Health and Safety legislation, they found that the butcher had already purchased a mincer plunger which is now being used to feed meat into the feeder.
A food business in Smethwick voluntarily closed following an inspection by a food safety officer. The officer found widespread evidence of mouse activity throughout the premises and poor cleaning and was satisfied that the conditions present an imminent risk of injury to health. The business closed to carry out pest proofing and a pest treatment for mice, along with a deep clean. The business was allowed to reopen a few days later once the officer was satisfied that the work to remove the imminent risk had been removed.
A butchers in Tipton was served with a Prohibition notice under the Health and Safety at Work legislation, due to an unsafe band saw. The guard to the band saw blade was not in use and was being held out of the way with an elastic band. Access to the blade posed a significant risk of injury. The butcher has since purchased a new band saw with guards in place.
A business in Oldbury was served with a Prohibition notice under the Health and Safety at Work legislation, due to an unsafe mezzanine level which was being used for storage and posed a risk of falling from height as there was no suitable guarding around the edge. Access to the area was prohibited and the owner has now taken the storage area out of use.
Anti-Social Behaviour
The team obtained two interim injunctions against two council tenants due to their violent and aggressive behaviour towards Council employees and contractors, within West Bromwich.
The injunctions prohibit them from causing further harm towards the employees and allows them to carry out their daily duties without the fear of this behaviour. Breach of this injunction could lead to an arrest made by the police and a custodial sentence.
New Policy Consultation
Sandwell Council is consulting on a proposed Code of Conduct for the Display of Goods and Advertising Boards on the Adopted Footway.
Concerns about businesses displaying goods on the footpath outside shop fronts and in some cases along kerbside opposite shops have been long standing as these shop front displays can narrow footways for pedestrians and obscure sight lines, with potential safety hazard for vulnerable people with sight impairments or wheelchairs user.
The proposed code of conduct aims to take a staged approach to dealing with items placed on the adopted footway. By taking this approach, the council wants to ensure the free passage for Sandwell pedestrians along footpaths and the highway and to seek an improvement in the visual street environment. The code will enable the council to address issues caused by obstructions fairly and consistently.
The consultation opened on Thursday 26 September and will run until Wednesday 11 December 2024. Details of the proposed code of conduct and the consultation are available on our Consultation Hub. Alternatively, you can send email us at PPP_team@sandwell.gov.uk or send your comments by post to Public Protection Team, Sandwell Council House, PO Box 2374, Oldbury, B69 3DE.