Government property finder
On 20 August 2014, the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) within the Cabinet Office launched a new Government Property Finder which enables people to search the government’s property portfolio.
This is seen as a part of the government’s Right to Contest initiative which allows businesses, local authorities and members of the public, to challenge the government to sell a site where they think it is not being used effectively. Cases are only rejected if government departments can demonstrate that the site is vital for operational purposes or that alternative considerations outweigh the potential for better economic use. This extended a previous right, the Community Right to Reclaim Land which allows communities the right to ask that under-used or unused land owned by public bodies is brought back into beneficial use.
The Right to Contest is intended to facilitate development of publicly-owned sites to boost local growth and to contribute to paying down the deficit.
The Government Property Finder is described as an ‘…easy-to-use tool that maps government property and land … For the first time ever, you can search the government’s property portfolio listing everything from ambulance stations to vacant airfields’, suggesting that it ‘…supports the government’s aims to increase transparency, save money and support regeneration and growth.’
Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude, said ‘As part of our long-term plan for a stronger economy we are slashing our own costs and getting the most out the property we own. Since the 2010 general election we have got out of 1,250 properties, but we need to do more. We want the public to use this new map and the Right to Contest to challenge us to release properties we are not using efficiently enough to cut the deficit, support growth and provide more houses.’
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Community Right to Reclaim Land.
- Efficiency and Reform Group.
- Green belt.
- Localism act.
- Neighbourhood planning.
- Related articles
- Right to Contest.
- Self-build initiative.
- The compact sustainable city.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
The CIAT principal designer register
Providing assurance and verification of the capability and competence of registered ATs.
Building Safety recommendations and Northern Ireland
The NI roadmap to improving safety in high rise residential.
BSA residential sector competence standards guidance
BSAS 01:2024 Organisational Capability Management System Standard - Competence Assurance.
Specifying rendered external wall insulation for fire safety
How to interrogate the evidence provided to the specifier.
The benefits of writing articles for your organisation
How to create a profile for your organisation and publish for free.
No Falls Week. The importance of safe working at height
What to expect and what is on offer to avoid accidents.
Scottish Government action to reach net-zero targets
Retrofit expert group highlight critical actions needed.
A forward thinking, inclusive global community of members.
From engineered product life-spans, to their extension.
Circular economy in the built environment
A brief description from 2021. Where are we now?
CLC publishes domestic retrofit competency framework
Roadmap of Skills for net zero.
Understanding is key to conservation.
Open industry engagement survey seeks responses
Institutions and the importance of engagement.
National Retrofit Hub unveils new guide
Digital Building Logbooks and Retrofit: An Introduction.