Town chosen for share a building pilot

WARRINGTON has been chosen as a pilot scheme designed to encourage local councils to work with central government and other public sector organisations to share buildings and re-use or release surplus property and land.
The scheme has been hailed as a driver for growth by Chloë Smith, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office.
Neighbouring council Cheshire West and Chester has also been chosen for the One Public Estate scheme, which will also deliver savings and encourage redevelopment.
The pilots examine issues within geographic areas rather than departmental structures, making use of local knowledge. The idea is based on the insight that while from central government HQs it may make sense for a government department to occupy a specific building or to sell it independently, in a local context that thinking may prevent efficiencies.
These could range from sharing buildings to encourage regeneration and growth, or by selling land in small parcels rather than the larger areas which will attract local development and business.
Taking a narrow departmental view can also get in the way of offering better services to local people by providing them in one location.
In Chester, plans include co-locating the council health organisations, police and third sector organisations in a new building, providing a catalyst to regenerate an important but neglected area of the city and giving the region a base for joint health and council teams, while Frodsham has seen the council and health organisations sharing a building to provide a single customer access point for health, housing and council services in a medical centre next to a leisure facility. Other council services will also relocate there.
In Warrington options are being considered for creating a central hub for government and public services, including Cheshire Police Authority and the NHS trust.
Discussions are currently underway with other government departments to identify additional opportunities to move to Warrington’s “Stadium Quarter” and free up land for housing, which will also be the site of a new University Technical College focused on the energy sector.
Chloë Smith said: “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.”