The Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board meeting scheduled for Thursday 5 March 2026 was set to discuss the proposed fees and charges for the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for the 2026/27 financial year, as well as the service's work plan for the same period. The meeting also included a review of the minutes from the previous meeting held on 5 November 2025.

Fees and Charges Report 2026-27

The report scheduled for discussion outlined the proposed fees and charges for the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for the 2026/27 financial year. This included statutory fees set by legislation, RPI-linked fees, and discretionary fees. Specific areas covered were fees for explosive licenses, penalty fees for letting and property management, and hourly rates for Primary Authority partnerships. The report also detailed proposed fees for Weights and Measures equipment verification and calibration, registration for auction premises, and duties at Wembley events. Additionally, it proposed an increase in the hourly fee for Financial Investigators offering services to other local authorities. The report noted that income budgets for previous years had been met or exceeded, with the 2025/26 income figure already surpassing the budgeted amount, partly due to increased Wembley event schedules.

Work Plan Report 2026-27

The proposed work plan for the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for 2026/27 was also scheduled for consideration. This plan outlines the key work streams and priority areas for the service, aiming to protect consumers, support responsible businesses, and ensure a fair marketplace. The priorities are influenced by national and regional assessments, including those from the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and London Trading Standards (LTS). Key priority areas identified include doorstep crime and scams, illicit tobacco and vapes, counterfeit goods, underage sales, and used car sales. The plan also details projected work volumes for both the Brent and Harrow teams, based on their respective enforcement staff numbers, covering activities such as completed complaints, trader enquiries, inspections, test purchases, and legal actions. The report stated that the work plan was designed to be achievable within the existing budget, with adjustments to be made if the budget changes.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The board was scheduled to review and approve the minutes from the previous meeting held on Wednesday, 5 November 2025. The minutes from that meeting indicated discussions on the Trading Standards Mid-Year Review, which included updates on new legislation such as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 and the ban on single-use vapes. It also covered enforcement activities, test purchases, proceeds of crime investigations, and monetary penalties. The previous meeting also discussed Operation CeCe, an initiative to tackle the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products, detailing enforcement visits, seizures of illegal tobacco, and prosecutions.