Government commits to further £2 billion of property savings

The newly unveiled Government Property Strategy aims to achieve substantial savings through property sales and enhanced building efficiency. With 7,000 roles already relocated from London as part of the civil service relocation programme, momentum is building. A key commitment is to invest more in regenerating derelict public land.

Over the next three years, the government plans to sell £1.5 billion worth of property assets and realize £500 million in savings by leveraging modern building materials and energy sources.

Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, Jacob Rees-Mogg, emphasized the importance of cutting the public estate’s costs and returning funds to the taxpayer while justifying all government property expenditures. This initiative will also facilitate the Places for Growth programme, fostering savings and bringing the government closer to the communities it serves.

Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency Jacob Rees-Mogg said:

We are cutting the cost of the public estate so that we can return money to the taxpayer.

All spending on government property needs to be justified.

This will also help us deliver the Places for Growth programme, which will allow greater savings and mean the government is closer to the communities it serves.

 

The Places for Growth programme has already relocated over 7,000 jobs from London, with 1,389 positions moving to Yorkshire and the Humber. Several government departments, including the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Department for Health and Social Care, Department for Education, and Home Office, have made the transition to Yorkshire.

Additionally, the strategy commits to investing £300 million in grant funding to unlock smaller brownfield sites for housing through the One Public Estate programme. This partnership with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Local Government Association has already yielded successful regeneration projects, such as the transformation of an old library in Waltham Forest into 67 new homes and the creation of The Mildenhall Hub, a community centre housing various essential services.

The government estate comprises numerous assets, including prisons, courts, schools, museums, hospitals, health surgeries, job centres, military bases, and administrative offices.

Furthermore, the Government estate will support the 25-Year Environment Plan and the Greening Government Commitments, as emissions from the estate have already decreased by over 50% since 2009. Achievements like a 14% reduction in water consumption demonstrate the commitment to sustainability.

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