Primary Authority partnership scheme expanded

The Charity Retail Association announced today (April 8 2019) that its Primary Authority partnership with Salford City Council has been expanded to include all of the Greater Manchester authorities.

What is Primary Authority?

A Primary Authority partnership is a legal partnership between a business and a local authority or fire service. It provides consistent regulatory decisions about your organisation no matter where in the country you’re based. We have partnered with Greater Manchester Regulatory Centre of Excellence and, as a result, all of our members have access to their guidance.

Primary Authority Advice has legal standing. Other local authority regulators should respect it and should not ask you to do something differently to the advice you have been issued.

You don’t have to be in or around Manchester to use this service. If you are a member of the Charity Retail Association you can receive advice.

How does it help my charity?

It provides legally assured advice on trading standards, environmental health, health and safety, fire safety, and other categories, affecting charity retail.

It helps ensure you’re doing the right thing.

All local environmental health, trading standards and fire safety officers must pay attention to assured advice from your primary authority. If you have received Primary Authority advice on the issue, your Primary Authority can intervene in any enforcement action.

Some, not all, advice will be location specific, for example if you are requesting Primary Authority advice on food, it is only relevant in England. If you requesting advice on fire safety, health and safety or product safety it is only relevant in England and Wales. If unsure, then please ask us. We will always endeavour to get the correct advice for your charity, wherever you are.

How do I access it?

To view our library of existing advice, please log in to the members’ area of our website and go to Guidance, particularly the Sale of Goods section.

If you can’t find your answer, please contact Head of Member Services, Susan Meredith, via email susan@charityretail.org.uk or telephone: 020 7697 4080.

This service is included in your membership.