AM I right in my understanding of the West Wilts District Council Scores on Doors' scheme that you feel newsworthy as:

  • An initiative that The Food Standards Agency has no plans to adopt nationally
  • Unique to our local council
  • An exercise that has so far rated a mere seven public houses (as published on the hi-tech Excel spreadsheet link from the website) and 18 other businesses made up of newsagents, shops, cafes and takeaways throughout the area, since its launch in August of this year.

As a landlord who chose to cease the provision of food two years ago to avoid the immense requirements of the new licensing directive, I am appalled that West Wilts Council have managed to inspect just 25 trading establishments over the past three months and that, as a newspaper, you have chosen to front your publication with the results of such meagre activities, without realising the impact on any of those outlets appearing in a scoop' based on a 25-line Excel spreadsheet.

The Kings Arms in Bradford, for example, will suffer substantial loss of business, despite being the only pub in the town where the kitchen and cooking is visible to all visitors. One day an inspector (salaried and expensed by ratepayers) arrives during his hectic three-month whistlestop tour of 25 premises, and as an individual makes a tick sheet' assessment of an environment on display to hundreds of customers (and one that has already satisfied the rigorous examining of this industry's new licensing, compliance and insurance bodies.) His/her one-off evaluation is then expertly inputted into a spreadsheet, along with the other 24 named enterprises and published on this public website that our local newspaper deems worthy of such an extensive finding. A good, local pub has its reputation and trade destroyed overnight.

Unfortunately, when the same inspector eventually revisits and regrades, you, as a newspaper, will have moved on to other headline stories and will not afford similar coverage to resurrect their trade.

As a landlord and ratepayer, could I urge our local council to put our taxes to better use in terms of funding extra policing for example, and not some internal Michelin Guide, and as a subscriber and customer of the Wiltshire Times, ask you to fully examine the consequences of front page exposure of the results of a half-hearted scheme based on seven pubs in this area.

Our trade is dying naturally enough without additional nails.

J HANSON, The Three Horse Shoes, Bradford on Avon

I HAVE today written to David Bardwell, principal environmental health officer, regarding your front page lead story How does your pub shape up?' (October 20).

The Scores on the Doors initiative can only be described as ill-conceived. I am sure the council could make much better use of public money and council resources.

Whilst I welcome any initiative that seeks to improve standards and safety in public houses, the initiative only seeks to name those houses that fail to reach the council standards, which at best is arbitrary.

The assessments are carried out by individual council officers and, although appropriately trained, their views will vary. The consequences of different interpretations could be devastating to an individual business.

The problem is compounded when one realises, according to the council's website, the only method of appeal' is through the council complaints procedure. Individuals are not given the opportunity of a re-inspection and, again according to the website, a new visit could take up to two years. This is grossly unfair to those businesses who are striving towards excellence.

Food businesses operate within very tight regulations and the council have statutory powers to enforce food standards. Businesses either comply to the legislation or they do not. Public safety cannot be compromised through a star rating system.

I am sure the council has good intentions but would suggest that it re-evaluates the resources used to fund this initiative and direct the monies for support, guidance and education.

This, I feel, will make a real difference and promote standards to an improved and legal level.

LJ STEPHENS, Tenanted Trade Director, Wadworth and Company Ltd, Devizes