
Building excellence across North Kesteven has been celebrated and showcased through regional and national awards programmes.
All five schemes that won the District Council’s own NK Building Excellence Awards in 2024 – in North Hykeham, Helpringham, Scredington, Waddington and Wilsford – were submitted for regional consideration in the East Midlands LABC Building Excellence Awards.
From this School House, Wilsford, was named the East Midlands’ best residential extension in the category recognising outstanding construction and workmanship and nominated for the National LABC awards taking place in London on January 24.
A project at Grantham Road, Waddington, was highly commended at regional level for best residential extension.
The other locally-awarded projects were two more domestic extensions and an extension to office accommodation connecting to a repurposed railway building.
The awards recognise excellence in design, build and execution within projects which use Local Authority Building Control services for verification, sign-off and validation of compliance and standards.
Certificates were presented on site to owners, applicants, agents and builders for each project. Visiting each one, Cllr Mark Smith, Executive Board Member with special interest in Environment & Public Protection, which includes the Building Control Service, said: “In every case it was clear to me how positive relationships between clients, architects, builders, subcontractors and our skilled Building Control officers have contributed significantly to some really excellent outcomes that make the world of difference to the people living and working there.”
“In every case there was an emphasis on achieving best energy efficiency, sustainable materials use and effective waste management which saw recycling of bricks, stone and paving into the new extensions and use of heavy clay from another to line a wildlife pond.
“We clearly have some exemplary builders working locally, delivering some really excellent schemes, whose care and diligence benefits not only their clients but the communities in which they are working.”
The converted Grade II Listed Victorian schoolhouse in Wilsford which is receiving national recognition champions sympathetic design within a conservation area where materials, proportions and style respect and compliment the historic schoolhouse whilst delivering modern living spaces.
Typical of comments made on all five projects complimenting the Council’s Building Control team for their punctuality, professionalism and positive, proactive approach, the Wilsford project team said: “The Building Control officer would always attend site to ensure that everything was going to plan. Any queries or concerns were addressed and dealt with promptly. Throughout the project all the necessary inspections were notified in advance, carried out on time and to the satisfaction of Building Control. From a customer perspective the journey was completely seamless.”