“CONSIDERABLE” focus is already being put into ensuring government-owned buildings are being appropriately managed, the Infrastructure Minister has said – after a former Deputy called for a levy to be introduced for organisations failing to use them properly.
In a JEP column, David Warr suggested if a publicly-owned site remains vacant or “substantially underused” for more than three years, the organisation responsible “should be required to publish the reasons for delay, a timetable for delivery and any barriers preventing progress”.
In response, Infrastructure Minister Jonathan Renouf said he would look at the suggestion but said there is “already a considerable ministerial and officer focus on assets that are – for a variety of reasons – not in current use”.
Mr Warr, who is a former Housing Minister said that “consequences must follow” should “agreed milestones” be missed with no reasonable explanation offered. He suggested that a levy could be imposed on organisations that allow assets to remain dormant, “with any funds raised ringfenced for community improvement projects”.
“At the same time, accountability must be fair,” Mr Warr continued. “Delays caused by planning appeals, environmental remediation, heritage requirements or legal disputes should be exempt. The aim is to tackle inertia, not punish organisations dealing with genuine obstacles.
“After five years of inactivity, an independent review should automatically be triggered to assess governance, decision-making and delivery performance.”
He argued that “repeated failure without good reason” should lead to changes to leadership and board oversight.
Deputy Renouf said: “I am always interested to hear ideas about how we make the best use of the public estate because I fully recognise the frustration that arises when government property is left unused.”
He continued: “For this reason, there is already a considerable ministerial and officer focus on assets that are – for a variety of reasons – not in current use.
“I will look at whether ‘asset activation plans’ could be a useful addition to the work we already do.”
