April 25, 2014
Innovative public sector property scheme to be extended
One of the UK’s most innovative property strategies, the One Public Sector Estate programme is to be extended, the Government has announced. The initiative was established in June of last year in 12 pilot areas as a way for central and local government departments to share offices and other public sector property. The programme will now be extended to as many as 15 new authorities across the country with the Cabinet Office claiming that the pilot schemes have already saved around £21m in under a year and that the sale of property freed up by the scheme will raise an additional £88 million. The strategy is jointly managed by the property arm of the Cabinet Office who are responsible for similar initiatives in central government, and the Local Government Association.
- The overall number of council offices in Hull (Guildhall pictured above) has been cut from 43 to 29 alongside other initiatives to share back office functions. The changes generated £971,000 in capital receipts in 2013/14, a £292,000 reduction in running costs. The council now expects to repeat these results going forward.
- Surrey County Council has established a joint project with Spelthorne Borough Council, the Ministry of Justice and the NHS to reduce the number of public sector offices in the town of Staines. They believe the project will free up land for over 300 homes as well as raising between £15m and £20m in land sales and reducing operating costs by as much as half.