Flintshire Council set to introduce byelaw to regulate skin piercing practitioners

Flintshire Council is to introduce a byelaw to ensure skin piercing practitioners in the county can continue to be regulated.

It will cover acupuncture, tattooing, semi-permanent skin colouring, cosmetic piercing and electrolysis practitioners.

The council has published notice of its intentions on its website, which sets out the authority’s reasons for introducing the byelaw.

Byelaws are local laws made by a council under delegated legislation requiring something to be done – or not done – in a specified area.

They can lead to a sanction or penalty for non-observance.

The introduction of this byelaw will not affect the way that Flintshire businesses already meeting cleanliness and safety standards operate, but addresses regulatory and public safety issues after taking into account responses to a consultation.

The notice states: “Flintshire Council would like to formalise adoption of a byelaw to ensure that both the premises and the operators who carry out acupuncture, tattooing, semi-permanent skin-colouring, cosmetic piercing and electrolysis can continue to be effectively regulated – in respect of the cleanliness and management of such premises and the staff carrying out such services for the purposes of public safety.

“The standards contained in the byelaws are already adhered to within skin piercing establishments in Flintshire. It is not anticipated that it will have any direct changes to the way reputable skin piercers currently operate.

“As part of this process interested parties have been consulted about these byelaws and the responses will be considered before reporting again in a further statement a summary of our findings and if the byelaws should be adopted.”

It adds: “The Council has undertaken a process to consult with interested parties (all registered skin piercers within the county of Flintshire) on the adoption of local byelaws for acupuncture, tattooing, semi-permanent skin-colouring, cosmetic piercing and electrolysis.  No adverse comments were received nor the any changes requested to the proposed byelaws.

“The Council has decided to progress the adoption process as the most appropriate way of addressing regulatory and public safety issues and taking into account the response to the consultation.”

A full list of the standards the byelaw covers is available on the council’s website here.

A copy of the draft byelaw is also available for public inspection during normal working hours at Ty Dewi Sant, St. Davids Park, Ewloe, CH5 3FF until November 30.

Rory Sheehan – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).