ENVIRONMENTAL Health officers in East Sussex are providing vital EU exit support and advice to local businesses.

Officers from the shared service for Environmental Health for Rother and Wealden District Councils have been working to help organisations across the county, enabling them to continue to successfully trade with, and export to, the European Union.

Following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December last year, trading regulations have changed and businesses must now follow new processes to continue to trade with the continent. Environmental Health officers have been providing comprehensive administrative support, giving detailed advice, and signposting organisations to the appropriate webpages to help them navigate the new regulations.

One local business who has been assisted by the Environmental Health team is Chapman’s of Rye, wholesale fishmongers based in the East Sussex port town. A significant part of their business involves exporting fish to France and Belgium and they are working towards establishing Rye as the export hub for the Kent and Sussex fish consignments to Europe.

Keith Chapman, owner of Chapman’s of Rye, said: “By pooling our skills and resources we aim to enable not only ourselves, but many of the small fishing companies in our region. The new export requirements make it too time-consuming, costly and complicated for many companies to undertake on their own. 

“The Environmental Health team have helped us successfully navigate this process and have been instrumental in helping us get the Rye export project off the ground.

“To date, we have exported twice to Belgium and seven times to France, and thanks to their efforts, every single export has made it through to its final destination.”

Councillor Kathryn Field, Rother District Council’s Cabinet member for Environmental Management, said: “I am delighted that officers from our shared Environmental Health service have been successfully helping local businesses continue to trade with our European neighbours especially in these difficult times.

“A large number of local jobs rely on the continued viability of many of these companies and supporting them through the new processes is vital to our communities.”

Local businesses who would like help and support with exports or advice on the new guidelines can contact the Environmental Health team via foodhs@rother.gov.uk.

More information about the new regulations can be found on the .gov.uk website.

Published: 4th February 2021