The council’s Environmental Health and Trading Standards teams have been praised for their work as part of a successful partnership with a major supermarket.
Last year the teams secured a significant contract with Aldi Stores Ltd, which sees the council provide the popular supermarket chain with regular advice and support. The partnership has been set up as part of the government’s Primary Authority initiative, allowing businesses to enter into advisory agreements with local authorities.
In this instance, Aldi benefits from expert regulatory guidance on areas such as food hygiene, with the council providing tailored support to ensure the business remains aligned with evolving legislation and best practice. The partnership helps Aldi maintain consistently high compliance standards across its operations in the UK.
Aldi UK is Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket, with over 1,050 stores nationwide, including five in Peterborough. As well as assisting Aldi, the council’s Regulatory Services department has around 130 Primary Authority partnerships in place, including several major names in the UK business sector.
Councillor Alison Jones, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: “This successful partnership is a real feather in the cap for our Regulatory Services department, demonstrating how highly our teams are regarded by one of the biggest names in British business. I would like to thank everyone from the team for their continued sterling efforts with this work.
“The Primary Authority scheme has fundamentally shifted our relationship with businesses by introducing an ongoing relationship of openness and trust between regulators and businesses. Businesses seek our advice early before commercial decisions are made, ensuring corrective work isn’t needed further down the line and ultimately helping customers to buy safe products.”
An Aldi spokesperson said: “The partnership has been a very positive move for the business, and we have already started to see some important developments including the renewal of our Inspection Plan and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
“With this in mind, and as we continue to grow, our aim is to work in collaboration with Peterborough City Council, using their expertise to support us. This includes developing the areas of Primary Authority advice we have, ensuring we continue to have robust processes in place.”
For more information about how the council is helping businesses as part of Primary Authority visit here.