A FEE charging food outlets for a reinspection has caused a fall in requests from businesses receiving a low hygiene score.

Since April 1, businesses who ask for environmental officers to return to the premises after they have carried out required improvements have had to pay £168.

Earlier this year, a Special Report by The Bolton News found that some businesses believed that this fee was unfair.

But, according to the council’s 2018/2019 Food Plan, the number of food business operators requesting a revisit has fallen significantly since the fee was introduced.

A total of 40 businesses requested reinspection last year and a further five appealed against their rating because they felt it had been applied incorrectly but in each case the rating remained the same.

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The report was mentioned at a council meeting where cabinet member Nick Peel updated councillors on the campaign for businesses to be required to display their ratings.

He confirmed the council would look at the possibility of creating a local by-law but advised councillors that this might be difficult.

Cllr Peel said: “We’re still lobbying the government quite hard about the mandatory display of food hygiene ratings in England. It is mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland and as recently as October, the Food Standards Agency reaffirmed their ambition to have this statutory provision in place.

“We are unfortunately, at the lap of the gods, waiting for primary legislation. Who knows when there’s going to be any time for primary legislation in parliament but until that happens we can’t really do anything.”

The food hygiene rating scheme, run in partnership with local authorities, gives businesses a rating from zero to five to help consumers make more informed choices about where to buy and eat food.

Ratings are worked out by environmental health officers, employed by the council, who inspect the business to check it meets the requirements of food hygiene law.

Businesses inspected include takeaways, restaurants and pubs as well as schools, hospitals and retailers.

In the last three years, the number of businesses receiving a rating of zero, one or two has fallen by almost 20 per cent.

This means that the number of food outlets below a satisfactory level has fallen by a fifth despite the total number of businesses operating in the borough increasing.

However, the report revealed that there was a shortfall of more than 30 per cent in the number of interventions required by law.

This shortfall relates specifically to “lower risk” restaurants, takeaways and manufacturers.

As a result of this, the council has had to provide the Food Standards Agency with an action plan and update it a regular basis.

According to the report, this will create a significant increase in the workload for the council team raising concerns over insufficient resources.