Primary Authority Partnership

What a Primary Authority Partnership is and how it can help

A Primary Authority Partnership is a formal relationship between a business and a Local Regulatory Authority.  This relationship aims to reduce the burdens placed on businesses when they have to liaise with multiple local authority regulatory services that perform the same function.

The Scheme is not restricted by geographical location and so businesses are free to approach any other local authority, or have relationships with more than one authority.

We offer Primary Authority Partnerships in relation to the regulatory categories for:

• age restricted products and services
• agriculture (manufacture, composition and labelling of animal feed and fertilisers
• animal health and welfare
• consumer credit
• explosives licensing
• petrol storage
• fair trading
• food standards
• metrology (weights and measures)

Benefits of a Primary Authority Partnership

Your business will have access to "Assured Advice" - this is the advice given by the Primary Authority which other local authorities must have regard to when carrying out their inspections and enforcement.

We will appoint a dedicated officer to manage your partnership and who will handle all contacts made by other Trading Standards services across the country.

Regular contact with the Primary Authority will reduce the risk of non-compliance.

We will provide you with information on the number and type of complaints received by Trading Standards about your business.

Find out how to get involved and how much it costs

Contact us by telephone or email.

Telephone: 01946 505005
Email: trading.standards@cumberland.gov.uk

We will charge the business for the Primary Authority Services at a rate set at £79 per hour VAT is not charged on this rate.  

Guidance on local regulation: Primary Authority (GOV.UK)