As part of Cambridgeshire County Council’s objective of supporting local business, Trading Standards are changing the way in which advice is provided for businesses trading across local authority boundaries. Driven in part by a change in legislation, Trading Standards will increase the level of benefit to local business through the establishment of Primary Authority agreements.
To be eligible for a Primary Authority Agreement a business must operate across two or more council boundaries.
Primary Authority comprises a contract between the Authority and the business to provide ongoing advice on specific areas of regulation applicable to that business. The business is able to choose which areas of regulation it receives advice on under the Contract. Cost recovery is applicable to Primary Authority businesses. For Cambridgeshire businesses the first 7 hours of advice is currently free, with an hourly charge applicable for any advice requested over and above this. For businesses with no presence in Cambridgeshire, the hourly charge is applicable on all advice given.
Effective local regulation requires confidence and mutual trust. Businesses are able to rely on the Trading Standards advice received in the knowledge that it is expert opinion, applicable across the UK, and a secure basis for investment and operational decisions. Under Primary Authority other regulators are unable to challenge you when your actions are based on specific advice provided by us under Primary Authority. A further benefit this offers is a closer relationship with just one local authority and single point of contact for issues and queries, saving you time and bringing greater clarity.
The benefits of Primary Authority far outweigh those previously afforded by Home Authority relationships, and as such, existing Home Authority agreements will be phased out and existing Home Authority businesses offered the opportunity of entering into a Primary Authority Partnership.
More information on Primary Authority Partnerships can be found on the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) website
, or by contacting Trading Standards on 0345 0455206 or by email.