News
£250 million savings for local public bodies expected from Audit Commission outsourcing
Posted on Mon 5th Mar 2012 at 16:03
Communities and Local Government
Published 5 March 2012
Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has welcomed today's announcement by the Audit Commission that hard-pressed councils and other local bodies should see big fee reductions following the successful outsourcing of the Commission's centr…
NAO Press Release - Improving the efficiency of central government office property
Posted on Fri 2nd Mar 2012 at 09:03
2 March 2012
Full report - Improving the efficiency of central government office property
The National Audit Office has today published a report on the efficiency of central government office property since 2004. The spending watchdog has found that departments have made good progress in i…
New speaker - Keith Davis, Director NAO - at Government Property 2012
Posted on Thu 1st Mar 2012 at 11:03
Keith Davis will be speaking about the new NAO report on "Improving the efficiency of central government office property"
Study outline
This study will look at the speed at which central government is transforming and reducing office space. The Government established the Government Property Un…
New plenary speaker - regeneration - post-Olympics
Posted on Thu 23rd Feb 2012 at 09:02
We are pleased to confirm that Clive Dutton, Executive Director, Regeneration & Inward Investment: London Borough of Newham, will be taking part in the plenary presentations and Q&A at Government Property 2012. Clive's presentation will be on "East London, Post Olympics Transformation: Walking the …
Government anticipates £5 billion in cash savings this year
Posted on Fri 17th Feb 2012 at 10:02
Cabinet Office
16th February 2012
An unwavering determination to keep eradicating waste in Whitehall has put the Government firmly on track to make around £5 billion in cash savings this year – an even greater number than last year’s significant savings – the Minister for the Cabinet Off…
IBM explore workplace flexibility in plenary session of Government Property 2012
Posted on Mon 13th Feb 2012 at 10:02
IBM's Rachel Caldicott, management consultant in Asset Management, will look at: how organisations can achieve and embrace workplace flexibility; current good practice; where are we heading?
View full details on the conference agenda at gp2012.publicsectorconnect.org/agenda
Cost reduction in central government: summary of progress
Posted on Mon 6th Feb 2012 at 09:02
National Audit Office
2 February 2012
Full report - Cost reduction in central government: summary of progress
An initial report by the National Audit Office on progress by central government departments in reducing costs has concluded that departments took effective action in 2010-11, cut…
Over £1 billion investment secures future of new waterways charity
Posted on Tue 31st Jan 2012 at 11:01
Defra News
31st January 2012
A new charity to look after England and Wales’ network of 200-year old canals and rivers will be given over £1 billion of Government help to give it the best possible start, Environment Minister Richard Benyon, announced today.
This unprecedented funding for a …
400 public buildings set to be given an energy efficiency makeover saving millions off energy bills
Posted on Wed 25th Jan 2012 at 15:01
Mayor of London Press Release
25 January 2012
Schools, libraries, town halls and hospitals are among nearly 400 public buildings set to get an energy efficiency makeover thanks to the Mayor Boris Johnson's RE:FIT programme. At a time when organisations are facing squeezed budgets, RE:FIT is set …
'City deals' to be widened across England
Posted on Tue 24th Jan 2012 at 10:01
Communities and Local Government
Published 23 January 2012
More cities in England will be offered the chance to agree a bespoke deal with Government to unlock their potential to drive economic growth, Cities Minister Greg Clark announced today in a major speech to the Centre for Cities.
The …
Councils are central to tackling the housing crisis
Posted on Mon 23rd Jan 2012 at 12:01
LGA media release 23 January 2012
The challenging housing situation in the country will be improved if councils have greater involvement, according to a new report from the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The report, entitled ‘Meeting local hous…
NAO Press Release - Reorganising central government bodies
Posted on Mon 23rd Jan 2012 at 09:01
20 January 2012
Full report - Reorganising central government bodies
Plans to reorganize central government will bring a range of functions currently at arm’s length closer to ministers, according to the National Audit Office. Moreover, the Cabinet Office and departments are on course to…
Assembly unanimously backs creation of Olympic Development Corporation
Posted on Thu 19th Jan 2012 at 12:01
London Assembly
18 January 2012
The London Assembly today unanimously supported the establishment of a mayoral development area[1] in and around the Olympic Park. [2]
The proposal by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will see the Olympic Park Legacy Company reformed as a Mayoral Development…
Grant Shapps: Powers over regeneration will remain with communities
Posted on Mon 16th Jan 2012 at 11:01
Department for Communities and Local Government
Published 13 January 2012
Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has today insisted that communities will be kept firmly in the driving seat and able to determine the future of their local areas.
In his response to a report from the Department …
Government saves more than £100 million on property this financial year
Posted on Fri 13th Jan 2012 at 10:01
Cabinet Office
12 January 2012
Savings from introducing strict property controls and getting a better grip on the property estate are already more than £100 million this financial year, with three months yet to go, Minister for Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, announced today. This exceeds the £…
Former RAF base redevelopment to create over 1,300 new jobs
Posted on Wed 11th Jan 2012 at 12:01
Mayor of London Press Release
11 January 2012
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today visited RAF Uxbridge, where 1,300 permanent jobs will be created as part of a major redevelopment of the former base. A further 270 construction jobs will also be up for grabs as the site is transformed.
Th…
14 areas get 2012 starter gun to 'pool and save' billions
Posted on Thu 22nd Dec 2011 at 09:12
Communities and Local Government
21 December 2011
Fourteen areas are to pioneer a public service revolution that will slash financial red tape and duplication so they respond to local need and save taxpayers' millions, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles announced today.
The revolutionary…
Implementing the Government ICT Strategy: six-month review of progress
Posted on Wed 21st Dec 2011 at 11:12
National Audit Office Press Release
21 December 2011
* Full report - Implementing the Government ICT Strategy: six-month review of progress
The National Audit Office has commended the early progress being made by the Government in implementing its ICT Strategy but has identified areas whe…
Creative challenge for Bristol's Enterprise Zone
Posted on Mon 19th Dec 2011 at 16:12
Homes and Communities Agency
Published date : 19 December 2011
Creative organisations are being offered the chance to start the transformation of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone by taking up vacant space on the site.
Companies and community groups have the opportunity to set up the…
Quango reforms take a leap forward as Public Bodies Act receives Royal Assent
Posted on Fri 16th Dec 2011 at 09:12
Cabinet Office
15 December 2011
The Government’s plans to radically increase the transparency and accountability of public bodies took a leap forward when the Public Bodies Act received Royal Assent.
This significant milestone in the reform programme will enable the Government to push …
Government should support London to help reduce UK ‘energy gap’, says Assembly
Posted on Tue 13th Dec 2011 at 10:12
London Assembly
13 December 2011
The Government should support the capital's efforts to generate more of its own heat and power to help reduce the UK’s ‘energy gap’, a new report from the London Assembly says today.[1]
Plugging the Energy Gap by the Assembly’s Environment Committee al…
The Independent Panel on Forestry launch progress report
Posted on Thu 8th Dec 2011 at 15:12
The Independent Panel on Forestry
8th December 2011
The Independent Panel on Forestry, set-up to advise the Government on the future of England’s forests and woods, has today (8 December) published its progress report.
The Panel says it is working towards recommendations that will increase …
G-Cloud deadline extended due to popular demand – more opportunity for SMEs
Posted on Thu 8th Dec 2011 at 11:12
7 December 2011
Cabinet Office 7th December
Over 500 businesses have applied for the Cabinet Office’s SME-friendly “G-Cloud framework” and the deadline has been extended by almost three weeks to 19 December 2011 as a result. The framework is one of the most SME-friendly to date - approxima…
Interactive map shows councils are saving millions
Posted on Thu 1st Dec 2011 at 09:12
LGA media release - 1 December 2011
An investigation by the Local Government Association has found that shared services are delivering savings of £156.5 million to the taxpayer. Across England alone, 219 councils are sharing services, such as recycling and waste, I.T. and procurement, to achiev…
£500M fund to unlock the potential for economic growth
Posted on Mon 7th Nov 2011 at 12:11
Department for Transport
7 November 2011
Communities whose ambitions for economic growth have been stuck in the mud could benefit from a multi-million pound boost to help get their building projects off the ground.
The £500million Growing Places Fund will be available to help boost economic …
Government shrinks number of Central London Government office spaces by 20 per cent
Posted on Wed 2nd Nov 2011 at 14:11
Cabinet Office
2nd November 2011
The Government has exited 36 property holdings in central London alone since May 2010, Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude confirmed today, on the same day as the Public Property Summit takes place in London.
The Government is one of the country's l…