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Public sector property sharing initiative trialled in Chesire

A property sharing pilot aimed at getting local councils to work with central government and public sector organisations will take place in Cheshire.

The scheme aims to encourage sharing and re-use or release of surplus property and land and will pilot in Cheshire West, Chester and Warrington.

The idea is to bridge the disconnect between central government decisions and the local context regarding occupation and sale of buildings.

For instance, land could be sold in small parcels, rather than larger areas, which will attract local development and business.

In Chester plans include co-locating council health organisations, police and third sector organisations in a new building in a neglected area of the city. In Frodsham the council and health organisations share a building to provide a single access point for health, housing and council services.

Elsewhere in Warrington, a central hub for government and public services, including Cheshire Police Authority and the NHS trust, is being discussed.

Pilots are also taking place in Bristol, Essex, Hampshire, Hull, Leeds, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Surrey, and Worcestershire.

Chloë Smith, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, said: “I wanted to see first-hand the pioneering work public services are doing locally to get the most out of their buildings. Millions of pounds can be wasted by services using expensive buildings when there’s a half empty property down the road – that’s taxpayers’ money which could be used in so many other ways. This policy will save money – but also promote growth and bring in jobs locally.

“In central Government, we’re working hard to ensure the taxpayer does not have to pay for empty buildings. Already, we’ve raised over £1 billion nationally by getting departments to work together and use their property more efficiently. It’s great to see local authorities making such good progress, by thinking in new ways about property issues.”

Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) said: “Local Government has long been acknowledged as the most efficient part of the public sector and these pilots are a fantastic opportunity to build on that reputation and work with our partners in other public agencies to save taxpayers money, boost economic growth and make it easier for people to access services.

“By improving cooperation between central and local Government we can save money through the more efficient use of public assets. The driver has always been there to innovate and improve but in the current environment of public sector cuts this joined-up approach is urgent and essential. While these pilots represent the flagships, this type of innovation is evident in councils right across the country.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .