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Housing & Environmental Health Service
The primary focus of the Council’s Housing and Environmental Health Service (H&EHS) is the provision of a wide range of services to the community relating to housing and the maintenance of public health. It also undertakes a number of licensing functions and the tackles environmental crime.
The Service is structured in to the following five operational units:
Housing Strategy, Development and Renewal Team
Housing standards in the private sector are regulated by this Team. Additionally, it administers grant aid for the purposes or repairing properties or making adaptations for disabled residents. Advice and guidance is also provided with regard to drainage, private water supplies and energy conservation.
The Council is the strategic housing authority for North Hertfordshire. This team analyses the housing needs of the district and produces a housing strategy which sets out plans for tackling these needs. The Housing Strategy covers all types of housing in the district, both social and private.
Housing Needs (Homelessness, Housing Advice and Allocations Teams)
The Council provides a free, impartial housing advice service and can provide assistance to customers in most situations. This includes tenancy advice, assistance with accessing the private sector and information on social housing. The Council also seeks to prevent homelessness whenever possible and will review all housing options available with the customer in order to establish the most appropriate solution.
The Environmental Protection Team deals with a wide range of environmental problems such as noise, dust, accumulations, vibration, etc. It also regulates atmospheric emissions from certain businesses, operates various environmental monitoring programmes, investigates contaminated land and gives advice to other council departments and members of the public.
Primarily this Team enforces statute law with regard to commercial premises in two main areas - food hygiene & health and safety. Additionally, education and advice is provided to business owners and the public.
The administration of a wide array of licenses is carried out within Team. Services related to abandoned vehicles, bonfires, accumulations of refuse, parking on verges, control of dog fouling and other animal related issues are also provided by this Team.