Supporting the public estate

Decarbonisation

More than three quarters of UK councils have declared a climate emergency and are now planning urgent action to decarbonise. Many have set targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 or earlier, well ahead of the government’s 2050 deadline.

The net zero challenge is complicated by the varied property portfolios which councils are typically responsible for including offices, depots, leisure facilities, community centres, schools, and care homes: encompassing buildings of all sizes, ages, and tenures – as well as large vehicle fleets.

Councils also have a wide sphere of influence and responsibility, in addition to dealing with their own emissions they have a pivotal role in engendering behavioural change with supply chains, the communities they serve and a diverse range of private and public sector organisations. To exacerbate their challenge, in a post covid time of high inflation and a wide range of social and financial problems to deal with, including ever increasing energy bills, council budgets are under significant pressure.

Our services include:
Net Zero Carbon Roadmap
Surveys
Feasibility and costing
Energy modelling
GIS modelling
Lifecycle planning
PSDS delivery support

Interested in Decarbonisation services? You can read our insight on Demystifying net zero carbon design here.

We have a team of Energy and Sustainability consultants- Learn more about what they can do here.

Workplace Consultancy

Recent data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), shows that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic only c5% of the UK workforce worked mainly from home and according to CIPD research, 65% of employers either did not offer regular working from home at all or very rarely. Fast forward to 2022 and home working is the norm across several sectors including local and central government.

While some employees are working from home most or all week, it seems that the majority prefer a balance where they are in the office for some of the week and at home for the remainder. This is known as: hybrid working.

Many Councils and Central government departments have been working under these arrangements for some time now. For most organisations, hybrid working will require a significant culture shift and the adoption of new ways of working. As a result, some office spaces are underutilised or even vacant which creates an added cost pressure during a time of significant financial challenge. Now is the time to consider alternative uses or perhaps even a rationalisation strategy.

Our services include:
New ways of working consultancy
Digitization support / occupancy studies
Workplace / office / move management
Building Surveying services

Better Use of the Public Estate

Footfall decline on the high street is continuing to accelerate due to many factors, including the cost-of-living crisis, the impact of online shopping and ever-changing economic dynamics. Now is the time to consider innovative ways to boost local economies including more collaborative working with other sectors and industries.

For instance, in 2020, the NHS Confederation and Power to Change held a roundtable event, which demonstrated the role of health in supporting economic and social recovery, particularly considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health on the High Street report highlights opportunities for how NHS services could be more effectively and appropriately delivered in communities but done in ways that make high streets more economically and socially sustainable and the services themselves more accessible.

Our services include:
Economic analysis
Town Planning
Masterplanning


Need help in developing strategic solutions? You can see more about our Strategic Management team here.

Support into organisations facing resourcing challenges

The Government Property Strategy (2022-2030) recognises that there is a need to ensure that recruitment into government property roles is a key focus area and that the workforce is appropriated qualified and accredited. The ambition is that by 2030, public sector property professionals will be known for industry leading and commercial expertise. Until this point, support may be required in the form of consultancy support or secondment of resource.

Our services include:
PMO
Secondment of resource

Learn about our Project Managers here.

Asset Management

During these economically challenging times, public sector budget cuts have resulted in a loss of key skills and experience of managing public assets has been lost. It is essential for the resilience of local authorities and central government departments that its assets are expertly managed. We work directly for local authorities and central government departments and other privately owned organisations operating within the sector including contractors and wider construction supply chain. Our team of asset management professionals has extensive experience in helping local authorities to achieve best value from their assets and facilities. By working in partnership, we can ensure that your FM strategy is efficient, cost effective and aligned with your business objectives.


Our services include:

Direct support (Local Authorities and Central Government departments):
Procurement of Facilities Management Services
Asset Management
Compliance Audits
Surveys

Indirect support (Contractors and Facilities Management):
Lifecycle reviews and modelling
Benchmarking and efficiencies reviews
Delivery of work support
Maintenance plans
Compliance Audits
Surveys