Summary
8.The Act is intended to ensure councils think carefully about any refusals issued on the grounds of Health & Safety, by requiring them to put their decision in writing, and carry out a review where requested following their decision (and then put the outcome of that review in writing), and to allow the Local Government Ombudsman to ‘fast-track’ complaints related to such decisions.
9.The Act will insert new provisions into the Local Government Act 1974 requiring local authorities to provide the event organiser, or person applying for a decision, with written notification of a decision when the authority stops an event or imposes conditions or restrictions upon the event on the grounds of health and safety. The provisions enable the applicant or event organiser to request a review of that decision, which the authority is required to carry out as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within 15 days. The provisions also put it beyond doubt that the Local Government Ombudsman may identify categories of cases (for example, complaints about local authorities’ decisions about events) that are to be investigated faster than other cases.
