There are some who criticise local government for being bureaucratic and lacking in creativity. In reality, local councils are innovative in plugging the income gaps left by austerity and there is something of a renaissance in municipal investments.

APSE and CIPFA property services set out to identity the scale, scope and advantages of municipal investments and the results of our research found councils taking a measured approach to investments designed to balance risk and rewards. Asset investments allow councils to convert capital investment into revenue – helping them sustain local services.