RIAMS Libraries and Communities are ever evolving, with new content, discussions and updates being regularly added. Welcome to the June edition of RIAMS Unpacked where I’ll give you a quick update on what’s new, what’s been reviewed and anything significant that has come across my desk in the world of environmental health.

As RIAMS Libraries continues to grow, we welcome five new local authority subscribers to our database of resources. RIAMS never stands still, so take a look to see what’s updated and what’s new – RIAMS Libraries.

My colleagues Sophie Corfield and Jim Nixon received a wonderful welcome at the International Social Housing Festival in Dublin, showcasing The Noise App to our European partners and demonstrating how it can support local authorities and housing associations to successfully manage noise complaints.

National licensing week took place from 9–13 June, raising awareness of this important area of work undertaken by local authorities to keep our communities safe. RIAMS continues to support licensing officers through Libraries and Communities, and we have recently updated our procedures to support officers when taking enforcement action for licensing breaches. All our licensing documents can be found in the Licensing Module.

The UK Health Security Agency published a new report in May, titled Health Inequalities in Health Protection Report 2025. Applicable to England, this report highlights stark health inequalities linked to infectious diseases and environmental hazards. People in the most deprived areas are nearly twice as likely to be hospitalised due to infections, with even greater disparities seen in the Northwest and among certain ethnic groups. Environmental factors like air pollution are also shown to hit deprived communities harder. These health inequalities come with a massive cost to the NHS and require targeted, inclusive and sustained action to reduce what are avoidable disparities. Read the full report here.

A recently published report by Pesticide Action Network UK and Women’s Environmental Network, called Blood, Sweat and Pesticides, investigated the chemical and pesticide contamination in menstrual products, highlighting health risks, regulatory gaps and environmental and social issues tied to cotton production, the key raw material used in these items. My colleague Aaron and I have attempted to highlight the main points in our blog.

Finally and of note, I attended Westminster Insight’s Solutions to Damp and Mould in Social Housing Digital Conference. Some great speakers discussed how social housing providers are gearing for Awaab’s Law by improving their systems to ensure they are tackling damp and mould issues early and effectively. Our very own Jon Williams presented The Housing App at the conference, ably demonstrating its new and exciting features that will provide greater efficiency for housing. Book a demo.

Legal and regulatory insights

• The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England/Wales/Northern Ireland/Scotland) Regulations 2024 came into effect on 1 June, banning the sale and supply of disposable vapes across the UK, with the aim of reducing waste and protecting the health of younger people. Enforcement differs between the nations: in Great Britain, LAs can issue civil penalties as an alternative to prosecution; in Northern Ireland, enforcement is carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) where no civil sanctions are available. Government guidance can be found here. Read Will Hatchett’s article ‘Fruit-Flavoured Rebellion: Vaping is an environmental health issue’. 

• Crime and Policing Bill is at the Report stage in the House of Commons, although a date has yet to be scheduled.

• Standards of Modern Zoo Practice 2027 for Great Britain has been published, for zoo inspectors to refer to when carrying out inspections.

• The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill has received its third reading in the House of Commons and is nearing its final stages prior to being introduced. Following Labour’s recent move to align with EU law, the bill provides a framework to allow ministers to apply EU law to GB on a case-by-case basis. If it receives royal ascent as is, it could help ease challenges around cross-border movement of goods between GB and Northern Ireland.

What’s New on RIAMS Libraries?

Sixty procedures were reviewed during May, as well as some of our notices, forms and national guidance documents across England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

There are three new procedures on the Renters’ Rights Bill (which will be added to and amended over time as things change and are introduced):

• Investigatory Powers HP247E

• Financial Penalties HP248E

• The PRS Database HP249E

These procedures can be found in the Renters’ Rights Act folder.

Following customer feedback, we have also updated several of our licensing procedures to add further enforcement content where non-compliance is found. We have also added two new licensing procedures:

• Licensing Authority as Responsible Authority under the Licensing Act 2003 LP69

• Maintenance of Premises Licence or Club Premises Certificate Application Processes (Options Following Grant under the Licensing Act 2003) LP70

Take a look at all our licensing procedures, which can be found here.

We are also working on procedures covering:

• Primate licensing in England

• Licensing of supported housing

• Evidencing a s257 HMO, and

• Pre-packaged food for direct sale.

We’ve been increasing our pool of RIAMS reviewers across England, Northern Ireland and Wales to improve our resilience across all subject areas. It’s coming up to the start of the third quarter, so I will soon be working with our reviewers to distribute the next batch of procedures for review, ensuring all resources are kept up to date and are to the highest standards.

What’s New on RIAMS Communities?

Our feature – Question of the Month with Tim Everett received a lot of attention this month. It examined whether LAs can refuse to issue an HMO licence due to the absence of correct planning permission. Take a look here as the debate continues. If you have a complex question for Tim, please send it to me: [email protected].

During May, we released another couple of Upper Tribunal decisions:

• Discuss doesn’t mean decide: Nottingham City Council v Housing 35 Plus Limited, where the Upper Tribunal overturned a housing co-op’s argument that they were exempt from HMO licensing, with the decision hinging on the word ‘discuss’

• The case of London Borough of Waltham Forest v Marble Properties (London) Ltd combined an appeal against the First-tier Tribunal’s (FTT) reduction of a financial penalty based on the tribunal’s view of how the council’s policy should be applied, with a judicial review of the FTT’s powers to change their initial decision. Helpfully, the Upper Tribunal provided clarification on both counts.

Stay engaged, stay informed – upcoming events and training

19 and 26 June (9:15–12:30) – Introducing the Basics of Statutory Nuisance [Online]

19 June (10–12:15) – The Noise App Training

19 June (10:00–12:15) – Exploring the Challenges of Regulation 8 Private Water Supplies for Local Authorities [Online]

19 June (14:00–16:15) – Now and Forever – A Beginner’s Guide to PFAS in Private Water Supplies [Online]

17 July (9:20–11:40) – Plant Noise Complaint Resolution Best Practice [Online]

RHE Global supports environmental health practitioners across all specialisms to work smarter, network and share best practice. Visit RIAMS to keep up to date with the latest environmental health developments and discussions.

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