Ernie Spencer

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Ernie J. Spencer FRICS C Build E FCABE, Hon LABC, Hon LDSA, Hon East Anglia LABC, Hon EBSA on 23 January. Ernie was an LDSA and LABC Honorary Member and life-long advocate for local authority building control. 

With a six-decade career in building control behind him, Ernie’s passion and dedication for the industry never dwindled, continuing to shine as brightly very recently as it did way back in March 1965, when he started his journey as a Pupil Building Inspector with Thurrock UDC. 

Over the next decade Ernie would go on to hold a variety of posts at Dartford RDC, London Borough of Waltham Forest and London Borough of Redbridge. In November 1977 he gained his first Head of Building Control position at London Borough of Barking and Dagenham which he held for seven years before moving to become Head of Building Control at Uttlesford BC in August 1984. He held this position for nearly 23 years, finishing in March 2007. 

Ernie was proud of the work he undertook, listing some of his signature projects as the Dagenham Heathway Shopping Centre and the creation of the Diamond Hangar at Stansted Airport. He also lectured in Building Law at the North East London Polytechnic and was an examiner for the IAAS and RIBA.

After officially retiring from Uttlesford, Ernie still played an active role locally as Secretary of the Essex Building Surveyors Association from 2008 until 2022 and was a regular contributor to LABC East Anglia meetings. He attended both groups until as recently as December 2025.

He was an extremely passionate and enthusiastic supporter of the building control industry and would regularly take up causes which he felt were limiting staff from doing their jobs properly. Just last year, he had contacted several MPs about the use of building notices and their growing “popularity” with builders, something he felt was contributing to poor workmanship on site.      

In March 2025, while recovering from a heart attack in Addenbrooke's hospital, Ernie was presented with a commitment award from the LABC East Anglia region to mark his 60 years’ dedication to Local Authority Building Control. The regional Chair was slightly concerned about visiting Ernie in hospital, but he needn’t have worried: as he turned the corridor to the ward he could hear Ernie on the phone, chastising someone for forging ahead on their building work! That was Ernie to a tee – total and utter dedication! He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues.