1000 WOrDS / SHuTTErSTOCk News Moving on lettings issues Officers from Thurrock Trading Standards have taken action against letting agents who are not complying with consumer rights laws. The crackdown follows new rules requiring letting agents to make information available about the fees they charge, the governmentapproved redress scheme to which they have signed up, and whether their clients rent and fees are protected. In May, the council wrote to all letting agents in Thurrock to advise them about the new requirements and warn that they may face a fine maximum 5,000 if they do not follow the rules. Letting agents were then visited to check for compliance, and officers provided comprehensive advice on topics such as fair trading, deposits, repairs and tenancy agreements. Those found not to be compliant have been issued with fines totalling 14,100. Council leader Rob Gledhill said: The rental market in Thurrock is a very lucrative one, so I want to make sure letting agents are doing their bit. The legislation was passed in 2015, so there is no excuse for not meeting the requirements. Even after our officers visited these agents, some decided not to take the action needed; they now face the consequences. The 14,100 raised in fines will be used to fund further enforcement activity by our trading standards team to help protect Thurrock residents. Birmingham City Council has issued a new-year reminder to letting agencies and property managers register with a redress scheme or you could face a 5,000 fine. Last year, the council successfully prosecuted a lettings agency that had failed to register with a redress scheme. Cabinet member for housing and homes Peter Griffiths said: Theidea behind the redress scheme is to help tenants with a range of issues, such as letting agent fees, inaccurate property descriptions, disputes over deposits and rent not being passed on to their landlord. The government has announced that a consultation on banning lettings fees charged to tenants will take place in March. The timing was revealed in a House of Lords debate in January, when it was made clear that the views of property agencies, landlords, tenants and other stakeholders will be considered before legislation isintroduced. The governments intention to ban letting fees was first announced inlast years Autumn Statement. Council leader travels the globe to counter budget cuts council workforce in the past four years, Clancy added, but we are not just going to sit back and let Birmingham City Council continue to shrink. We have to see how we can use our assets to promote growth and deliver on priority areas of housing, jobs and skills, and health. On the eve of a visit to Qatar where he will meet potential investors Clancy told local business leaders he would go anywhere in the world in an effort to secure funding for Birmingham. Last September, he travelled to China, Hong Kong and Singapore, resulting in a 2bn deal with Chinese property developer Country Garden to deliver housing and other infrastructure in Birmingham. Clancy said he was determined to make the most of the land and property assets of the council, which owns 60 per cent of the developable land in the city. Final budget proposals will go before the city council on 28 February. ISrAEL PATTErSOn / SHuTTErSTOCk Birmingham City Council leader John Clancy insists he wont be raising the white flag of surrender, despite facing a seventh successive year of spending cuts. Clancy described the authoritys draft 2017+ budget as depressing and tough, with 78m of cuts to be delivered on top of almost 600m achieved since 2010. He expects the council to have to reduce planned spending by a further 180m by 2021, based on proposed cuts in the government grant. We have lost 40 per cent of the Trader admits selling dangerous legal highs A trader who sold so-called legal highs has pleaded guilty to selling dangerous products, following an investigation by Paula Bonham-Samuels from Oxfordshire Trading Standards. Darren Manley, 36, sold products using the descriptions of research chemicals and herbal incenses at his shop in Oxford. Trading standards officers (TSOs) showed that these products commonly referred to as legalhighs were being sold for recreational purposes, and that they were unsafe. The trading standards probe began after concerns were raised by health professionals over the impact of such products on vulnerable people. In May 2014, TSOs gave both Manley and his company, RAD Trading, advice on their requirements under consumer safety legislation, and said the council believed the products were unsafe.However, despite repeated visits from TSOs, the defendant and the company continued to sell the products to the public. Jody Kerman, Oxfordshires Trading Standards operations manager, said: The way these products were sold meant that they were not legal at all.The products were labelled incorrectly and contained dangerous substances with no appropriate warnings or instructions for safe use. There is new legislation in place now that covers these items but, atthe time of these offences, dangerous products were being openly sold to consumers from a retail shop.This helped to add to the public perception that these were safe and legal products. Manley and his company each admitted eight counts of breaching the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Manley was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and both he and the company were fined 20,000 and told to pay 40,000 in prosecution costs. Manley also had to forfeit all the illegal products and pay an 80 victims surcharge. Agencies act to recall meat and fish goods from sale Potentially unsafe meat and fish goods supplied by MDA Products are being recalled from sale across the UK. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said the items had been repackaged in unapproved premises, and their best before or use by dates may have been extended beyond those set by the manufacturers. Consumers are being warned not to eat the products, which are known to have been on sale at Home Bargains and Factory Foods, as well as via Frozen Value, trading as Fultons Foods and Jack Fultons. A Food alert for action relating to all products of animal origin packed and supplied by MDA Products was issued to environmental health and trading standards services throughout the UK. The FSA and FSS said the products were the subject of a number of labelling and traceability contraventions. A statement said: They are not compliant with food-law requirements and should be withdrawn from the market and recalled from consumers. Action to recall the items from sale has already been taken by Frozen Value and Factory Foods.