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Making the most of available space Speaking last week at the Commons launch of Leaner and Greener, communities secretary, Eric Pickles, hailed the ‘remarkable consensus' on the need for councils to rationalise their buildings and cut out waste. The report by the Westminster sustainable business forum must contain some marvellous medicine for creating common cause between Mr Pickles and LGA vice-chair, Richard Kemp. Achievable space reductions of 30% delivering not only £7bn annual operational savings but also sustainability dividends seem to be the ingredients for agreement. Although councils themselves sit on two-thirds of property assets with a portfolio worth £250bn, the biggest savings are to be made connecting services across the government estate as a whole. For example, more GPs' surgeries could become front doors for public services such as mediation and advice centres. Under-threat libraries might house one-stop shops for council services, and be places where police forces, having profitably disposed of traditional stations, could set up shop. Given increased demands to support the agendas for growth and welfare reform, the co-location of Jobseekers Plus facilities within council buildings should be a ‘no-brainer'. To an extent, this is happening already, with the Department for Work and Pensions moving Jobcentre Plus staff into community centres. But for leaders keen to see councils deliver huge savings by merging facilities, such reform, like community budgets, is advancing at a snail's pace. But, tied into a national outsourced property deal, the department would incur penalties for withdrawing from more than a specified number or properties in a given year. Telereal Trillium the firm running the Jobcentre Plus estate under the PRIME contract has been among major government suppliers called into talks with Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude. Sources indicate it might be amenable to negotiations supportive of wider property sharing on a pan-government basis. But if central government is the problem at local level, within the Whitehall village itself they are still busy rearranging the furniture. Culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was all set to move his department into 1 Horse Guards Road until the outcome of Dr Vince Cable's constituency surgery with the Daily Telegraph burdened him with an additional 70 media regulation staff. Stepping manfully into the breach, the Cabinet Office will now vacate Admiralty Arch and 22 Whitehall. Mr Maude can be seen to lead by example and deliver almost £40m property savings over five years. Cynics may scoff, but this could be a heart-warming instance of the aspiration sung about in the ‘Neighbours' theme tune coming true, when good neighbours become good friends. Jonathan Werran is editor of Governetz Public Property

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WHITEHALL

Inside View

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