Business information

The Role of Hertfordshire County Council in the event of Avian Flu outbreak in the County

Hertfordshire County Council will provide a fundamentally important role in any animal disease situation. This is led by the Trading Standards Service Animal Health and Welfare enforcement function, but also includes other vital areas such as Emergency Planning and Environment (highways and access to the countryside).

In response to any poultry disease the support and assistance provided by the Council will be in the areas of:

• The provision of a call centre to collate and disseminate information to farmers, public and other interested parties.
• To undertake foot patrols within the protection zones and/or surveillance zones in order to identify all poultry keepers, serve notices as required on such and monitor and enforce all movement restrictions within the zones.
• Close any affected Public Right of Ways.
• Assist with the control and eradication of any disease outbreak such as signposting boundaries of any infected areas and undertake biosecurity patrols in conjunction with the Police within the infected areas.
• To liaise with the Government News Network (GNN) for any media enquiries and press releases.
• Send a Local Authority liaison officer to the SVS Local Disease Control Centre and possibly receive SVS staff at the authority's call centre in order to advise on emergency veterinary issues.
• In relation to the disposal of infected poultry and poultry by-products in the event that off site incineration and rendering capacity is exceeded, assist the SVS and Environment Agency to identify possible land fill burial sites.
• The licensing of permitted poultry movements.