On the way to One Public Estate

1. On the way to One Public Estate Alan Stokes Worcestershire County Council 12 September 2013

2. One Public Estate • Presentation • Definition and context • Background • Developing the one public estate approach • Outcomes and lessons learned • Next steps

3. One Public Estate • Definition One Public Estate – managing the public sector assets as a single entity across organisational boundaries to provide maximum operational support at optimum cost • Does not require single ownership model • Does not imply cross subsidy – each party pays their way

4. One Public Estate • Context • About services not property • Financial landscape • Service transformation • Focus and eligibility • Delivery mechanisms • Shift in transactional channels • Technology • Customer expectation Need to design solutions for the future

5. One Public Estate • Presentation • Definition and context • Background • Developing the one public estate approach • Outcomes and lessons learned • Next steps

6. One Public Estate • Worcestershire County Council, (WCC), is a two tier authority with generally good relationships across tiers at a political level • Long history of collaborative working in Worcestershire across many organisations • Active formal partnership at Chief Executive level • Personal trust across some organisations at senior officer level

7. One Public Estate • WCC had a well resourced property management capacity - Able to take a lead • WCC had a track record of trading with partners • Most potential partners had needs beyond their current capacity • WCC had an appetite for change Fertile ground for collaboration

8. One Public Estate • Presentation • Definition and context • Background • Developing the one public estate approach • Outcomes and lessons learned • Next steps

9. One Public Estate • Mapping Assets

10. One Public Estate • Maps • Identified clusters of properties • Scale of potential opportunities • Likely partners • Stimulated debate amongst service managers • Highlighted how ridiculous the present situation was • Acted as an initial catalyst for change

11. One Public Estate • Sharing data revealed • Generally poor quality properties • Maintenance backlog issues • Energy performance • Wrong size, quality, capacity, configuration, location – estate relevant to another era • Did not easily support modern working • Technology • Work styles • Unaffordable

12. One Public Estate • Sharing information on likely service future needs revealed • Rapidly changing levels of sustainable demands • Rapidly changing service delivery proposals • Need for flexibility • Amount of property • Tenure • Styles of usage • Branding • Confidentiality issues

13. One Public Estate • Initial conclusions • Unavoidable need to do something • Concluded that collaboration held the key • Whole service / countywide change deemed to be too ambitious • Went for locality based approach • Homed in on a small number of golden opportunities • Quick wins • Willing partners • Rapid change on the ground

14. One Public Estate • Collaboration strategy based on 3 phase approach • Co-locate services and rationalise property • Share back office support • Align co-located services at local level • Released capital and revenue savings quickly • Physical co-location overcame many obstacles • Made subsequent phases easier to deliver • Property / shared service ratio of 1:5 and improving

15. One Public Estate • Early outcomes • Produced a number of shared buildings with shared support services • Joint Police and Fire Station in Bromsgrove • Joint Offices / Libraries / shared public access buildings • Preserving and improving footfall in town centres • Massively reduced running costs for all partners • Improved services locally • Greater clarity for users • Extended access to services

16. One Public Estate • Shared development vision • LDP’s and AAP’s take account of public sector changes • Clarity for development market • Joint asset disposals • Better quality development • Better quality developers • Greater capital receipts • Site assembly has included the private sector • Co-ordinated sales avoids flooding the market • Aiding economic regeneration agenda

17. One Public Estate • Presentation • Definition and context • Background • Developing the one public estate approach • Outcomes and lessons learned • Next steps

18. One Public Estate • Collaborative approach works • Need to implement change not just talk • Pick winners to start - even if they are small • Work with the willing but allow others to join later • Business case driven • No ransoms but all pay their way • Be flexible – partnership agenda, not just yours • Get local political buy-in • Engage with private sector carefully • Celebrate success.

19. One Public Estate • Presentation • Definition and context • Background • Developing the one public estate approach • Outcomes and lessons learned • Next steps

20. One Public Estate • One Town Approach • Focus on narrowly defined locality • Driven by local civic leadership agenda • Transparent, challenging but achievable objectives • Exploit opportunities for economic regeneration as well as more direct public sector benefits • Lower risk for private sector investors • Put changes into wider context • Prioritise

21. One Public Estate • Joint Property Vehicle • Single strategic property support resource for all public sector organisations in an area • Reduces running costs • Reduces transactional costs • Better co-ordination • Easier access for private sector • More sustainable • Spreads best practice quicker • Property ownership not an issue

22. One Public Estate • Current potential partners • Worcestershire County Council • West Mercia and Warwickshire Police Force • Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service • Worcestershire NHS Trust • Worcester City Council • Redditch Borough Council • Government Property Unit • Secured funding from LGA and DCLG to explore this option

23. One Public Estate • Outline Programme for JPV • Strategic Outline Case – September 2013 • Outline Business Case – December 2013 • Decision to implement – January – March 2014 • Fully implemented – March 2015 • Anticipated “administrative” savings in excess of £1m per annum

24. One Public Estate • Impact on FM support • Where do you think the savings come from? • Benefits of economies of scale • Standardisation makes changes • Quicker to implement • Lower cost • Greater flexibility • Sustainability • Service delivery level • Environmental – carbon implications

25. One Public Estate