Trading Standards departments from five councils across Gwent could be merged to save money.
The new Gwent Trading Standards service would be operated by Caerphilly County Borough Council.
At present around 75 staff across five Gwent local authorities deliver a Trading Standards service on behalf of consumers and businesses, advising on and enforcing laws that govern the supply of goods and services.
The move to form a Gwent-wide service is aimed at safeguarding Trading Standards in the face of budget cuts.
The Welsh Government has approved a bid to fund a project to establish a single service in Gwent. As part of the plans staff from the other Gwent local authorities would transfer to Caerphilly Council.
It is proposed to set up a project to draw up the detailed arrangements for any new service in consultation with all stakeholders including staff and trade unions.
Any decision on an amalgamation of Trading Standards services in Gwent would be subject to a detailed business case being presented to full meetings of the respective councils.
Areas of the Trading Standards teams’ work include counterfeit goods, food standards and food hygiene, doorstep crime and rogue traders, product labelling and pricing and E-Crime.
The service also targets weights and measures, product safety, under-age sales, animal health and welfare and business advice.
Does anyone in local government realise that Caerrfili is, and always has been, part of Glamorgan? We have Police, Courts, Health services all of whose priorities are determined by what is best for Gwent. Now trading standards are apparently going the same way. This is not good news for the Caerffili basin, Llanbradach, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed and Aber Valley. It may seem a small issue but the county does matter in terms of representation and services.
A more logical system of local government was the old Rhymney Valley District Council who was a component of the Glamorgan County Council. Even better was, prior to 1973, when we had Caerphilly Urban District Council.
I Just think bigger is not always Better….
Lyndon