The building control service for Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire has won top prize at a national awards ceremony.
3C Building Control, the local service which checks new buildings are designed and constructed safely and in line with environmental standards, won gold in the ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness’ category at the iESE Public Sector Transformation Awards, which celebrate best practice and innovation among public bodies.
The award for 3C Building Control, which is a shared service between Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Huntingdonshire District Council, recognised organisations who have "harnessed the potential in their organisation, delivering elevated performance, creating efficiencies, and delivering outstanding customer service with improved value to their residents."
The building control service was praised at the awards for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for how it mobilised quickly to home working, facilitated by digital technology. Judges highlighted 3C Building Control’s "ethos of continuous improvement, most recently committing to its own Strategic Intervention Programme of initiatives, designed to make a tangible difference to residents and communities whilst empowering team members to collaborate across other services and partner agencies."
Cllr Katie Thornburrow, Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces at Cambridge City Council, said: "I’m delighted that 3C Building Control have been nationally recognised in this way – it’s a testament to their constant desire to improve and innovate, in order to provide a better service for their customers and to promote the very best in construction standards locally."
Cllr Jon Neish, Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning at Huntingdonshire District Council, said: "3C Building Control are always striving to innovate and be an enterprising service that provides exceptional service to customers. To be nationally recognised for their commitment to building standards through great efficiency and effectiveness is proof of their ever-increasing standards and importance for customers locally."
Cllr Dr Tumi Hawkins, lead Cabinet Member for Planning at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "Our award-winning 3C Building Control team continues to go from strength to strength and this latest accolade shows just how far they go for their customers. I’d very much urge anyone thinking of carrying out building work to get in touch with 3C Building Control and take advantage of their expertise."
The 3C Building Control help ordinary householders ensure they are complying with all building regulations, and that work is carried out safely and in line with all environmental requirements.
Services offered by 3C Building Control include:
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free advice and guidance before an application is made
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advice on structure and fire safety before and during construction
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local site knowledge - such as ground conditions, drainage and existing structures.
They also offer ongoing advice and support throughout a project and charge at cost, meaning that getting advice at an early stage can help keep costs of a building project down.