Building Control Customer Service Standards

At Tendring District Council Building Control (TDCBC) we aim to provide our customers with a high quality service using professional personnel with extensive local knowledge and experience in a wide range of buildings and construction techniques.

Our means of escape expertise and direct personal contact with other relevant bodies such as Essex Fire Authority and Anglian Water provide a positive advantage to all levels of building works.

TDCBC has Quality Assurance ISO 9001 accreditation, which helps us achieve a consistant high standard and customer satisfaction.

Pre application consultation is welcomed, particularly in respect of means of escape in case of fire, to ensure rapid processing of approvals.

Our 'same day' inspection service can ensure that all the necessary statutory inspections are carried out, together with routine help and advice on any Building Regulation aspect, to avoid delay to the proposal.

The principal objective of the division is to provide a quality service, which is both accessible and responsible.

We aim to provide the following service target and objectives:

• To register all valid applications within 2days of receipt.

• To check and reply to all Full Plans within 21 days. (Usually sooner).

• Examine all Building Notice applications within 2 working days to allow work to proceed.

• Carry out inspections that are requested before 10.00am the same day.

• Officers are available for enquiries between 8.30 and 10.30 and 2.30 and 5.00.

Contact can be made by phone, fax or E-mail. If an officer is not in you should be able to leave a message with our Customer Service team and your call will be answered the same day (before 4pm).

Please bear in mind that at certain times of day the telephones can be very busy but do leave a message if prompted. For general Building Control Questions we would request you call in the afternoon, when phone lines are more free.

All inspections are normally carried out between 10.30 and 2.30. It is possible that inspections may be arranged at other times in special circumstances.

You may or may not be aware that if you regularly submit Building Regulations applications to other Local Authorities it is possible for you to enter into a partnership agreement with TDCBC which can provide a single, local point of call for all your applications. Click this link for more information on our Building Control Local Authority Partnership Scheme