Trading Standards

Core Responsibilities of the Trading Standards Service

Trading Standards is a diverse area of work with around 80 main statutory instruments and almost 2000 associated Regulations and Orders.  Trading Standards in Torbay,  provides the core fields traditionally associated with Trading Standards, namely, Metrology, Product Safety, Fair Trading, Animal Health and Consumer Advice.

Torbay is the 5th largest conurbation in the South West and is home to major companies such as Astra Zeneca, AVX, Epwin Group, Bookham Technologies and Beverage Brands. Brixham is the No.1 fishing port by value in England and Wales. Torbay attracts 1.45 million visitors annually. This large number of visitors impacts on the Service with seasonal trends in business and increased complaints generated other than by the resident population. The Senior Citizen markets, conference and exhibition business and coach trade are also a main feature of the Bay’s success.

Our aim is to promote a fair and safe trading environment for the people of Torbay. We enforce a wide range of Trading Standards laws to help ensure that both consumers and traders receive a fair deal. We have attained the Community Legal Services Quality Mark for our consumer advisory service. We also  provide verification services to local businesses.

Consumer Advice is available from Consumer Direct which is a national telephone  08454 04 05 06 and online consumer advice and information service funded by the Office of Fair Trading. Its aim is to provide consumers with the knowledge, tools and confidence to resolve their consumer problems themselves.  Further information about Consumer Direct is also available on this website.

The Trading Standards Service Delivery Plan