I think it would be fair to say that anyone who has come up against Conwy Council, and you don't agree with them, they will do everything in their power to make life difficult for you, and I can personally vouch for that with Letters and Recordings!
A restaurant owner whose heart stopped during emergency treatment believes his condition was caused by the stress of dealing with his local council. Don Hadwin, 63, was rushed to the hospital after his pulse began racing and he was strapped to a defibrillator in case his heart needed to be restarted.
As he recovered, he sent a photo from his hospital bed to Conwy Council, blaming officials for causing him undue worry. It follows an inspection by environmental health officers on October 24 which saw the Seahorse restaurant in Llandudno downgraded from a hygiene rating of five to zero.
At the time, Don was off work, having undergone a knee renewal, and so he was unable to accompany the three inspectors. His wife Gill, also 63, was caring for him at their Llandudno home, as well as looking after her elderly mother.
They have since struggled to secure a reassessment and have been threatened with a fine for not displaying the restaurant’s zero hygiene rating – even though they have yet to receive the appropriate stickers from the council. After successive attempts to speak to the council ended in failure, the couple has now reported their concerns to the Local Government Ombudsman and are being supported by the Federation of Small Businesses.
The couple described their treatment as a “witch hunt”. “Conwy Council has got a lot to answer for,” fumed Don.
Conwy Council said it is obliged to follow food hygiene rating legislation "in a consistent manner". It confirmed it has since organized a re-rating inspection after the couple spent £8,000 upgrading facilities.
But Gill believes she and her husband have been treated shabbily. “We’ve built up this business over 19 years and we’ve worked hard to make it a success,” she said. “We work up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
“The way we’ve been treated makes us feel violated. We’ve been shouted at and threatened with prison. If a council employee had been treated the same way, there would have been uproar – those responsible would have been relieved of their posts.”
Following the October inspection visit, multiple hygiene failings were identified by environmental health officers.
Don and Gill were called to the restaurant – Don on crutches – but they were too late to give a guided tour.
They accept some shortcomings but say this was due to their enforced absence, having always run a tight ship. They agreed on a two-day voluntary closure and set about rectifying issues in the kitchen. Remedial work included an expensive new ventilation system.
But when a letter arrived from the council, advising them of the appeals process, the 14-day deadline had already passed. According to the couple, numerous emails and voicemails went unanswered. Nevertheless, payment for a re-rating appeal appeared on their bank statement.
Don claimed he was told the restaurant’s zero rating would not be publicized pending an appeal. But he became aware it had become public knowledge when he was shared a Facebook post of the new rating.
Worse was to come when the couple was threatened with fines for not displaying their hygiene rating in a prominent position. They claim they have yet to receive any rating stickers.
“It’s an old building, so it’s always a challenge keeping up with the latest regulations, which change regularly,” said Don. “But the place is now absolutely spotless, everything has been done to the letter.”
On Friday, he was repairing a Ring video doorbell when he fell ill. A blood pressure monitor showed a heart rate close to 200 bpm, worryingly high. Gill took him to Llandudno General Hospital where his heart rate was confirmed at 177 bpm.
“The hospital is not set up to deal with emergencies,” said Gill. “But we were extremely lucky as there were doctors on the wards who came down to help, and the right drug was available in the hospital pharmacy.
“As the drug can cause the heart to stop, Don was rigged up to a defibrillator. In fact, he did flatline for a few seconds but luckily his heart restarted naturally.”
He was transferred to Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, and has since made a full recovery. According to Don, a nurse who investigated his case believes his condition was brought on by stress. It left Gill incensed. “All of this was brought on by extreme stress thanks to the environmental health department, which has hounded us and dealt with us in a disgusting way,” she said.
It’s not the first time the couple has run into a bureaucratic brick wall. In 2020, after the first Covid lockdown, they were ordered to pay back all or some of the money claimed from the UK Government’s subsidized eating-out scheme. Three months later, after providing masses of information, the HMRC admitted their claims were correct after all.
Conwy Council’s regulatory services team said the Seahorse is now due to undergo reassessment for its hygiene rating. A spokesperson said: “We were very sorry to hear that Mr. Hadwin was unwell, and we wish him a speedy recovery.
“When we’re carrying out food safety inspections we have to apply the food safety and food hygiene rating legislation in a consistent manner for all businesses. We’re pleased to note the necessary work has been completed; the re-rating inspection is programmed, and we’ll endeavor to carry it out as soon as we can.”
From...https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llandudno-restaurant-owner-claims-heart-25736028
Since when have conwy council ever cared? If your not a property developer or housing association, they have no interest. They only Brown nose those two groups and sod everyone else!
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