Councils click into the future of planning
In town halls across the country, planning officers are racing to update their Local Plans — but this time, the process looks very different.
Northamptonshire County Council sells HQ in £64m deal
17/04/2018 Northamptonshire County Council has agreed the sale and leaseback of its new headquarters in a £64m deal. |
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Government confirms more job centre closures
04/04/2018 More job centres will be co-located within local government premises as part of moves to cut costs, the Government confirmed today. |
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MMC: Knowing the risks
12/03/2018 Allison Whittington warns that local authorities should be aware of the risks associated with using modern methods of construction. |
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Northamptonshire County Council agrees to sell new £53m headquarters
14/02/2018 Cash-strapped Northamptonshire County Council has agreed a raft of cuts in an attempt to find £111m in savings by 2021. |
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Council launches new housing repairs company
06/02/2018 Around 450 staff have transferred to a new housing repairs and maintenance company owned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. |
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Council to sell brand new £53m headquarters
25/01/2018 A council has decided to sell off its £53m newly opened headquarters in order to cover social care costs. |
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Councils urged to embrace ‘fourth option’ for property projects
23/01/2018 A new property model could deliver up to £6bn of investment in construction if adopted by all councils across England, a report has argued today. |
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Homes built on NHS land are unaffordable to nurses, think tank reveals
09/01/2018 Four out of five homes built on NHS land will be unaffordable to nurses, new research has warned. |
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Greening the school estate
04/01/2018 More energy efficient school buildings could save the Department for Education £2.6bn a year, a new report has found. Laura Sharman examines the findings in more detail. |
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Councils urged to unlock £7bn of untapped assets
12/12/2017 Councils should assess the 'social value' of community businesses to help keep local areas strong and vibrant, according to a new report. |
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Driving regeneration, conserving heritage
25/10/2017 Rachel Campbell and Emily Gee discuss the implications for historic buildings as the disposal of surplus public assets climbs the national agenda. |
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A prudent investment
24/10/2017 Tony Martin explains why local authorities are making logical and prudent investment decisions when expanding their commercial property portfolios. |
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Croydon: Keeping its eye on the housing prize
19/10/2017 With a recent boom in council-owned companies, what makes Croydon’s development company stand out from the rest? Laura Sharman visited the borough to find out what the key to success is. |
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Council to save money by closing ‘little-used’ buildings
03/10/2017 Norfolk County Council has outlined plans to save money by delivering services from fewer buildings. |
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Councils warned not to contract out safety of new buildings
03/10/2017 Local authorities have been warned they must not ‘contract out’ the safety of new public buildings in a new report from MSPs. |
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Council-owned company purchases first property
18/09/2017 A council-owned property investment company has purchased its first property in an investment which promises an income of over £200,000 a year. |
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Government announces £54m to help councils unlock surplus land
01/08/2017 The Government has launched a £54m funding package to help councils release unused or surplus land for housing. |
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Public Property magazine
18/07/2017 Our new 24-page Public Property supplement focuses on the rationalisation and development of property and assets across the public sector. |
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How councils can create a property portfolio
05/07/2017 James Routledge argues the case for councils investing in property and provides some tips on how to succeed. |
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Councils spent £1bn on property assets last year to boost income
04/07/2017 Local authorities spent more than £1bn acquiring property in 2016 as a way of generating new revenue, according to a new report published today. |
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Council sets its sights on £75m property portfolio
23/06/2017 Gloucester City Council is to set up a board to raise money by buying and selling properties. |
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Reaping the benefits of OPE
05/06/2017 With the Government hoping to have all councils signed up to the One Public Estate (OPE) programme by 2018, what challenges and opportunities exist for councils looking to rationalise their assets? |
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Making the most of the public estate
22/05/2017 Since the One Public Estate started in 2013, local government has reaped the benefits. Brian Reynolds reports. |
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Nearly 80 more councils join One Public Estate initiative
30/01/2017 A further 79 councils have joined the One Public Estate (OPE) programme, which will help create 44,000 new jobs and release land for 25,000 homes by 2020. |
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Report calls for £1bn fund to transfer public assets to communities
08/11/2016 The Government should invest £1bn to help transfer public buildings and land into the hands of community groups. |
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Liverpool to sell off historical premises to balance budget
28/10/2016 Liverpool City Council has announced it is selling its former administrative headquarters in a bid to find £90m in savings over the next three years. |
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Barnet agrees £150m major projects contract
24/10/2016 Barnet Council has appointed a new contractor to deliver £150m worth of major projects such as new schools and leisure facilities. |
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Council takes property off rogue landlord
17/10/2016 Waltham Forest Council has taken the unusual move of taking over a property due to the landlord’s ‘complete refusal to operate responsibly’. |
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Half of councils now taking part in One Public Estate programme
11/10/2016 More than 150 councils are set to join the next phase of a public sector scheme to cut property costs and transform local services. |
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Council orders building inspections after school closures
26/09/2016 An inspection of council buildings is to be carried out by the City of Edinburgh Council, after 17 schools were closed due to safety concerns. |
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Council forced to vacate headquarters
21/09/2016 Council staff have been forced to leave Shetland Islands Council's headquarters following concerns the building needed structural work. |
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Birmingham Council leader signs £2bn Chinese deal
07/09/2016 The leader of Birmingham City Council has declared his city is ‘open for business’ after signing a development deal worth up to £2bn with a Chinese company. |
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County launches joint venture to deliver £200m of building projects
01/06/2016 Nottinghamshire County Council has launched a joint venture to deliver more than £200m of built environment projects over the next ten years. |
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Councils urged to apply for One Public Estate funding
11/04/2016 Councils are being urged to apply for up to £500,000 funding to deliver property-based transformation initiatives. |
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Councils told to publish list of surplus assets
03/02/2016 Councils will be forced to publish details of any buildings that have stood empty for longer than two years, under plans to reduce the number of public surplus assets. |
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Council’s new property company projected to raise £600,000 per year
04/12/2015 A Somerset council has agreed to proceed with plans to set up a new property company that they project will raise £600,000 per annum by 2019. |
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Councils 'constrained' from making most of public assets
27/11/2015 Local authorities are unable to make the most of their public assets due to ‘restrictive and counterproductive policies’, a new report is warning. |
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Councils encouraged to join property productivity drive
23/07/2015 The One Public Estate (OPE) programme is entering a further phase, with more local councils expected to be asked to release surplus public land and property as part of the Government’s Productivity Plan. |
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Auditors attack 'flawed' land sale in Wales
15/07/2015 The Welsh Government has failed to show the sale of land and assets provided value for money, according to a damning report from auditors. |
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Councils warned cutting office costs is a ‘false economy’
08/07/2015 Councils risk wasting money over the long-term by cutting costs in offices and facilities, a leading professional property body has told LocalGov. |
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Council leaders reject 'misleading' assets report
02/06/2015 Local government leaders have dismissed a report claiming councils own assets ranging from golf courses to hotels to a cheese factory as 'misleading'. |
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What next for local government land?
14/04/2015 Kristian Scholfield examines the progress made in the Government's One Public Estate (OPE) initiative and how successful delivery of the project can be achieved. |
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Business rates to be radically reformed
16/03/2015 A 'radical' review of business rates is to be conducted by the Government in order to create a 'fair and efficient' system. |
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Action plan launched to promote inclusive design
26/02/2015 Ministers have pledged to work with the construction industry to make public spaces and buildings more inclusive. |
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Property industry must ‘step up’ to protect environment
26/02/2015 The property industry has been urged to take a ‘leading’ role in protecting the natural environment, in a new report from the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC). |
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Maude backs public sector asset management company
17/02/2015 The UK’s first ever single asset management company for the public sector has been set up in the West Midlands. |
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Poll shows wavering support for mansion tax
09/01/2015 MPs believe a revaluation of council tax bands would be more preferable to a new ‘mansion tax’ according to the results of a poll. |
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Cheshire council to create property consultancy
09/01/2015 Cheshire East Council has confirmed it will launch a new building and planning consultancy to help offset the loss of income as a result of reforms to land search charges. |
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Empty building auction raises £3m for council
28/11/2014 An auction of five empty buildings by Leicester City Council has raised over £3m for the town hall. |
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Research shows councils bearing cost of ineffective facilities management
06/11/2014 Local authorities are failing to take a strategic approach to facilities management, losing out on savings worth thousands of pounds, according to new research. |
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Estate sold by council hits market at 10 times the price
05/11/2014 Durham Council has stood by its sale of Windlestone Hall, despite the estate now being up for sale at 10 times the price. |
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Council assets at risk from being under-valued
18/09/2014 Councils will redevelop £13.5bn of assets by 2020, signalling a move away from selling off buildings and land, a new report reveals. |
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£13bn asset sales will help expand One Public Estate programme
11/09/2014 Local government is likely to plough the bulk of £13bn capital asset receipts forecast over the next three years into innovative commercial investments, a senior productivity manager has advised. |
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Online map will challenge government on inefficient property
21/08/2014 An online tool to help communities decide if government property and land is being used effectively has gone live. |
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One Public Estate
12/08/2014 The five 'golden rules' to guide successful participation in the shared assets scheme. |
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Successful councils chosen for assets programme
06/08/2014 Twenty councils have been chosen to take part in a scheme designed to help them drive better value from their assets. |
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Wasted public sector space
23/07/2014 Why and how the government should tackle the increasing number of vacant public sector buildings. |
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Rationalising assets could help fund public services
03/07/2014 Unaffordable single-use buildings could be saved from closure if public bodies worked together to share facilities, a new study has found. |
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Regions should be ‘open for business’ to attract investment
02/07/2014 Councils and UK regions must send a ‘positive message’ to international investors if they are to support regeneration, property industry leaders will say. |
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Council expands commercial portfolio to generate income
01/07/2014 Crawley Borough Council has purchased its first office building under plans to generate income to fund council services. |
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Local government urged to get best value from surplus assets
05/06/2014 Councils have been urged to get better value from their £2.5bn ‘surplus’ assets in a new report by the Audit Commission. |
