Table Of ContentH B
E A
“Bassett’s Environmental Health Procedures provides practical guidance on implementing
A S
the wide and diverse range of legislation in the field of Environmental Health. I would
thoroughly recommend it to all Environmental Health Practitioners.” L S
Alan Higgins, independent Environmental and Waste Consultant T E
H
T
Environmental health law is a wide-ranging, detailed and complex body of law
within the UK. Bassett’s Environmental Health Procedures is an established and P T
essential reference source which provides an accessible entry into enforcement and ’
R S
administrative procedures for environmental health. The main legal procedures used in
the environmental health field are presented as flow charts supported by explanatory O
E
text.
C N
This ninth edition refines the structure introduced in the eighth edition, with each E V
chapter addressing a single topic. It has introduced the titles of the corresponding
legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland where there is such legislation. The book D IR
has been updated throughout to reflect new practices, legislation and statutory U
guidance. Specifically, the ninth edition contains new content on antisocial behaviour O
R
and significant updates to sections on:
N
• Enforcement and administration E
M
• Environmental protection S
• Food safety E
• Housing N
• Public health. T
A
Environmental health officers/practitioners and students will find this book invaluable. It BASSETT’S
L
will also be an essential reference for all those whose responsibilities demand they keep
abreast of current environmental health practices.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Bill Bassett authored the first seven editions of Environmental Health Procedures, the
first of which appeared in 1983. His dedication to navigating and clarifying the relevant
E
regulations and laws in this book has aided countless environmental health practitioners N
in the UK and beyond. Bill passed the baton to Tim Deveaux in 2013, but remained DIIN HEALTH
T
on hand to help both the new author and the publisher throughout. The ninth edition IT
continues in the spirit of Bill’s classic book, and is the second to be named after him. OH
N
Bill sadly died in 2017 and his legacy remains a testament to a leading, visionary and PROCEDURES
dedicated environmental health practitioner.
Tim Deveaux is an independent environmental health practitioner with 36 years T
of public sector experience in a wide range of areas in environmental health and IM NINTH EDITION
sustainability. His experience includes housing, food safety, health and safety, air
pollution and noise, infectious disease control, developing and implementing strategies
D
to change behaviour, and protecting the environment and human health, particularly in
planning for, and implementing, climate change and sustainability solutions. E
V
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH E
A
U
X
ISBN 978-0-367-18328-8
www.routledge.com
9 780367 183288
Routledge titles are available as eBook editions in a range of digital formats
TIM DEVEAUX
“Bassett’s Environmental Health Procedures provides practical guidance on implement-
ing the wide and diverse range of legislation in the field of Environmental Health. I would
thoroughly recommend it to all Environmental Health Practitioners.”
Alan Higgins, independent Environmental
and Waste Consultant
BASSETT’S ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH PROCEDURES
Environmental health law is a wide-ranging, detailed and complex body of law within the
UK. Bassett’s Environmental Health Procedures is an established and essential reference
source which provides an accessible entry into enforcement and administrative procedures
for environmental health. The main legal procedures used in the environmental health field
are presented as flow charts supported by explanatory text.
This ninth edition refines the structure introduced in the eighth edition, with each chapter
addressing a single topic. It has introduced the titles of the corresponding legislation in Scotland
and Northern Ireland where there is such legislation. The book has been updated throughout to
reflect new practices, legislation and statutory guidance. Specifically, the ninth edition contains
new content on antisocial behaviour and significant updates to sections on:
• Enforcement and administration
• Environmental protection
• Food safety
• Housing
• Public health.
Environmental health officers/practitioners and students will find this book invaluable. It will
also be an essential reference for all those whose responsibilities demand they keep abreast
of current environmental health practices.
Bill Bassett authored the first seven editions of Environmental Health Procedures, the
first of which appeared in 1983. His dedication to navigating and clarifying the relevant
regulations and laws in this book has aided countless environmental health practitioners in
the UK and beyond. Bill passed the baton to Tim Deveaux in 2013, but remained on hand
to help both the new author and the publisher throughout. The ninth edition continues in
the spirit of Bill’s classic book, and is the second to be named after him. Bill sadly died in
2017 and his legacy remains a testament to a leading, visionary and dedicated environmental
health practitioner.
Tim Deveaux is an independent environmental health practitioner with 36 years of public
sector experience in a wide range of areas in environmental health and sustainability. His
experience includes housing, drainage, food safety, health and safety, air pollution and
noise, infectious disease control, developing and implementing strategies to change behav-
iour, and protecting the environment and human health, particularly in planning for, and
implementing, climate change and sustainability solutions.
BASSETT’S ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH PROCEDURES
Ninth edition
TIM DEVEAUX
Ninth edition published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2020 Tim Deveaux
The right of Tim Deveaux to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Chapman & Hall 1983
Eighth edition published by Routledge 2014
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Bassett, W. H., author. | Deveaux, Tim, author.
Title: Bassett’s environmental health procedures / W.H. Bassett &
Tim Deveaux.
Description: Ninth edition. | Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY :
Routledge, [2020]
Identifiers: LCCN 2019018440| ISBN 9780367183288 (hbk) |
ISBN 9780429060847 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Public health laws—Great Britain. |
Environmental law—GreatBritain. |
Environmental health—Great Britain—Administration. | MESH:
Environmental Health—legislation & jurisprudence—Great Britain. |
Public Health—legislation & jurisprudence—Great Britain.
Classification: LCC KD3359 .B37 2020 | DDC 344.4104—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019018440
ISBN: 978-0-367-18328-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-06084-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK
Contents
Preface xiii
Extract from the preface to the first edition (1983) xv
Acknowledgements xvi
How this book is structured xvii
PART 1
Current environmental health legal structure, process
and policies 1
Chapter 1: Enforcement and compliance framework 3
The framework for local authority enforcement, operational and health
improvement policies 3
Agencies that work with environmental health professionals 6
Public health in local government 10
Mental health and environmental health 16
Options for obtaining compliance and environmental health interventions 19
Primary authorities 25
Alternative Interventions 34
Partnership working 37
Chapter 2: Common provisions in environmental health legislation 40
Enforcing authorities 40
Delegation of authority 41
Authorisation of officers 41
Powers of entry 42
Authentication of documents 43
Service of notices by local authorities 43
Information regarding ownerships etc. 46
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 47
Recording decisions 47
Chapter 3: Professional practice 49
Professional practice 49
Authorisations for obtaining communications data 55
Chapter 4: Legal proceedings 61
Preparing a case (plaintiff or appellant) 61
Court procedure 72
Appendices 76
viii Contents
PART 2
Environmental protection 81
Chapter 1: Air quality 83
Height of chimneys serving furnaces 83
Height of chimneys not serving furnaces 84
Control of grit and dust from furnaces 87
Measurement of grit and dust from furnaces 90
Prohibition of dark smoke etc. from chimneys 92
Prohibition of dark smoke etc. from industrial and trade premises
(other than from chimneys, e.g. trade bonfires) 95
Smoke control areas 97
Burning of crop residues 103
Cable burning 105
Local authority reviews of air quality 107
Air quality management areas (AQMAs) 113
Chapter 2: Environmental damage and contaminated land 117
Environmental damage 117
The identification and remediation of contaminated land 125
Chapter 3: Noise 135
Noise nuisances, noisy parties and noise in the street 135
Consents for the use of loudspeakers in streets 138
Noise from construction sites 141
Noise from certain premises at night 146
Seizure of equipment used to make noise unlawfully 150
Audible alarm notification areas 153
Chapter 4: Pollution prevention 157
Environmental permitting 157
Permitting of activities by local authorities 162
PART 3
Food safety and food standards 179
Food control and food hygiene legislation 181
Registration of food business establishments 186
Approval of product-specific establishments 189
Registration and approval of animal by-product plants 195
Hygiene improvement notices 199
Hygiene prohibition orders 201
Hygiene emergency prohibition notices and orders 204
Remedial action notices and detention notices 207
Detention and seizure of food 209
Imported food – official controls on feed and food of non-animal origin
from third countries 214
Sampling of food for analysis and examination 218
Closure notices on mollusc harvesting areas 222
Contents ix
Food standards 225
Food information 229
Food additives 233
PART 4
Health and safety 235
General procedural provisions 237
Improvement and prohibition notices 242
Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences 247
Notification of cooling towers and evaporative condensers 254
Seizure of dangerous articles or substances 256
PART 5
Housing and health 259
Chapter 1: Structure of the law dealing with housing standards
and their enforcement 261
General procedural provisions 261
Housing standards: the Housing Health and Safety Rating System
(HHSRS) 264
Housing standards for accommodation of the homeless 269
Fitness for human habitation 271
Energy efficiency in private rented property 272
Prescribed smoke and carbon monoxide alarms 277
Chapter 2: Enforcement options 282
General approach to enforcement 282
Fixed penalty notices 284
Renewal areas 287
Improvement notices 290
Prohibition orders 295
Hazard awareness notices 300
Notice of emergency remedial action 302
Emergency prohibition orders 304
Means of escape from certain high buildings 307
Defective premises 309
Overcrowding notices for non-houses in multiple occupations 311
Restoration or continuation of supply of water, gas or electricity 316
Disabled facilities grants 318
Dangerous buildings 322
Protection of buildings 324
Empty dwelling management orders 327
Ruinous and dilapidated buildings 332
Demolition orders 334
Demolition of buildings 337
Clearance areas (CAs) 341
Compulsory purchase 345
