Trading Standards take-over planned

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are to be asked to agree to the borough’s Trading Standards department taking over the service in neighbouring Halton.
Officers from the two authorities agreed the merger in principle last year and if councillors agree the new joint service could be operating by November 1.
It would be based at the existing headquarters of Warrington Trading Standards in Palmyra House because Halton has a smaller department.
Halton would pay £405,000 a year as its share of the costs.
Both existing services have good track records and officers believe the new joint service will result in cost savings and an improved service.
The national organisation the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services believes a population of about 300,000 is the optimum size for a Trading Standards service. Warrington has about 198,000 and Halton about 118,000.
There is a national shortage of Trading Standards officers and both Warrington and Halton currently have unfilled posts so no compulsory redundancies are envisaged.
Work is progressing on branding for the joint service but initially it will operate as Warrington Trading Standards in Warrington and Halton Trading Standards in Runcorn and Widnes.
Officers admit there is a risk that costs could prove higher than expected and exceed budgets and also that the service standards may not reach the required standard. But given the expertise of both services they believe this is unlikely.
They believe the joint service to make more efficient use of resources and achieve economies of scale.