A COUNCIL highways team has become only the second in the country to land a prestigious award for its customer service.

East Sussex Highways, a partnership of East Sussex County Council and contractor Kier, landed the Government-backed Customer Service Excellence award.

The accolade recognises the team’s efforts to find new and innovative ways of communicating with the public and of ensuring any problems reported can be dealt with promptly.

Cllr Carl Maynard, East Sussex County Council lead member for transport and environment, said: “If there’s a problem with a road, pavement or street light, it affects people’s day-to-day lives so it’s vital they can report it, and we can deal with it, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“This award recognises the efforts we’ve made to ensure that we put the needs of people who use the highways of East Sussex at the heart of everything we do.”

In recent years, Highways has introduced the new Fix My Street system which allows people to report a fault online and see which problems have already been reported.

It also launched a new web chat service allowing people to interact with staff in real time via the website, and created a new highways liaison team to ensure enquiries are answered within 10 days.

Meanwhile, improvements have been made to staff culture, including a scheme to reward individuals who go the extra mile and a monthly ‘Dragon’s Den’ session where staff can pitch ideas which could save money or improve customer service.

People can find information about East Sussex Highways or report problems online at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roads