CIPFA Prperty Briefing The Transparency Agenda Prperty Attributes 13 th December 2013
Briefing n Transparency Agenda Prperty Attributes ENGLISH LOCAL AUTHORITIES 13th December 2013 We ve been updating yu fr sme time abut the prpsed prperty attribute infrmatin that will need t be made publically available by Lcal Authrities in respnse t the Transparency Agenda. Yesterday we finally saw what the Gvernment s prpsals will be and these are utlined at: https://www.gv.uk/gvernment/news/eric-pickles-champins-pengvernment-with-new-wave-f-twn-hall-transparency The prperty attributes are part f a much wider drive t help cut cuncil waste and increase lcal accuntability that includes infrmatin n spending n crprate credit cards greater penness n the mney raised frm parking charges subsidies given t trade unins infrmatin n cuncils cntracts and tenders grants given t vluntary and cmmunity grups We will cver all f this in ur future AMP events and briefings, but fr nw we thught we had better highlight the key requirements fr prperty transparency as fllws: The key prpsals and Gvernment s respnse t Cnsultatin are included within https://www.gv.uk/gvernment/uplads/system/uplads/attachment_da ta/file/265425/cde_f_recmmended_practice_fr_lcal_authrities_n _Data_Transparency_-_Gvernment_Respnse_t_Cnsultatin.pdf Any feedback and pints f clarificatin shuld be sent by 17 January 2014 and must be sent by email t: transparencycde@cmmunities.gsi.gv.uk 1
The gvernment will regulate t require lcal authrities t prvide - basic infrmatin abut a lcal authrity s land and assets n an annual basis. The Gvernment believes this will enable better strategic management f lcal authrity estate, with pprtunities fr savings thrugh c-lcatin and sharing services, enable cmmunities t hld their authrities t accunt ver use f these assets and als t seek cmmunity asset transfer The gvernment has decided t exempt parish and twn cuncils frm cmpliance with the revised Cde, thugh it will remain recmmended practice fr thse with an annual incme r expenditure ver 200,000. Lcal authrities must publish details f all land and building assets based n Office f Gvernment Cmmerce guidance 08/05. This includes: all service and ffice prperties ccupied r cntrlled by user bdies, bth freehld and leasehld any prperties ccupied r run under Private Finance Initiative cntracts all ther prperties they wn r use, fr example, hstels, labratries, investment prperties and depts garages unless rented as part f a husing tenancy agreement surplus, sublet r vacant prperties undevelped land serviced r temprary ffices where cntractual r actual ccupatin exceeds 3 mnths and, all future cmmitments, fr example under an agreement fr lease, frm when the cntractual cmmitment is made. Exclusins are as fllws: scial husing 2
rent free prperties prvided by traders (such as infrmatin bths in public places r prts) peratinal railways and canals peratinal public highways (but any adjining land nt subject t public rights shuld be included) assets f natinal security infrmatin deemed inapprpriate fr public access as a result f data prtectin and/r disclsure cntrls (e.g. such as refuge huses). Fr each land r building asset, the fllwing infrmatin must be published tgether in ne place: Unique Prperty Reference Number Unique Asset ID - the lcal reference identifier used by the lcal bdy, smetimes knwn as lcal name r building blck. There shuld be ne entry per asset r user/wner (e.g. n ne site there culd be several buildings r in ne building there culd be several users flrs/rms etc where this is the case, each f these will have a separate asset ID). This must include the Original Reference Number frm the Data Surce plus authrity cde name f the building/land r bth street number r numbers - any sets f 2 r mre numbers shuld be separated with the - symbl (e.g. 10-15 Lndn Rad) street name this is the pstal rad address pstal twn United Kingdm pstcde easting and nrthing (gecding in accrdance with ISO 6709 Standard Representatin fr Gegraphic Pint Lcatin by Crdinates, usually a centre pint f the asset lcatin) 3
whether the lcal authrity wns the freehld r a lease fr the asset and fr whichever categry applies, the lcal authrity must list all the characteristics that apply frm the ptins given belw: fr freehld assets: ccupied by the lcal authrity grund leasehld leasehld licence vacant fr leasehld assets: ccupied by the lcal authrity grund leasehld sub leasehld licence fr ther assets: free text descriptin e.g. rights f way, access etc. whether r nt the asset is land nly (i.e. withut permanent buildings) r it is land with a permanent building. It is recmmended that lcal authrities shuld g further than the mandatry publicatin requirements set ut abve and publish infrmatin n a mnthly instead f annual basis, r ideally, as sn as it becmes available and therefre knwn t the authrity (cmmnly knwn as real-time publicatin). It is als recmmended that lcal authrities shuld publish all the infrmatin pssible n epims Infrmatin recmmended fr publicatin is as fllws: the size f the asset measured in Grss Internal Area (GIA, m2) fr buildings r hectares fr land, in accrdance with the Ryal Institutin f Chartered Surveyrs Cde f Measuring Practice. The Grss Internal Area is the area f a building measured t the 4
internal face f the perimeter walls at each flr level. Lcal Authrities using Net Internal Area (NIA, m2) shuld cnvert measurements t Grss Internal Area using apprpriate cnversin factrs and state the cnversin factr used. the services ffered frm the asset using the services listed frm the Effective Services Delivery gvernment service functin list http://dc.esd.rg.uk/functinlist/1.00.html (listing up t five main services) the reasn fr hlding asset such as, it is ccupied by the lcal authrity r it is prviding a service in its behalf, it is an investment prperty, it supprts ecnmic develpment (e.g. prvisin f small businesses r incubatr space), it is surplus t the authrity s requirements, it is awaiting develpment, it is under cnstructin, it prvides infrastructure r it is a cmmunity asset whether r nt the asset is either ne which is an asset in the authrity s wnership that is listed under Part 5 Chapter 3 f the Lcalism Act 2011 and/r an asset which the authrity is actively seeking t transfer t the cmmunity ttal building peratin (revenue) csts as defined in the Crprate value fr mney indicatrs fr public services at http://www.vfmindicatrs.c.uk/guidance/2010-11-estates- Management.pdf required maintenance - the cst t bring the prperty frm its present state up t the state reasnably required by the authrity t deliver the service and/r t meet statutry r cntract bligatins and maintain it at the standard. This shuld exclude imprvement prjects but include wrks necessary t cmply with new legislatin (e.g. asbests and leginella) functinal suitability rating 1-4 using the scale: gd perfrming well and perating efficiently (supprts the needs f staff and the delivery f services) 5
satisfactry perfrming well but with minr prblems (generally supprts the needs f staff and the delivery f services) pr shwing majr prblems and/r nt perating ptimally (impedes the perfrmance ff staff and/r the delivery f services) unsuitable des nt supprt r actually impedes the delivery f services energy perfrmance rating as stated n the Display Energy Certificate under the Energy Perfrmance f Buildings (Certificates and Inspectins) (England and Wales) Regulatins 2007. 6
CIPFA Prperty Cmments: Whilst this annuncement is nt unexpected it has taken a lng time cming. Reassuringly much f it is what we expected and cmmunicated at the AMP Netwrk Events, fr example we predicted there wuld be Mandatry and Recmmended Attributes and this has prved t be the case. The nly Mandatry Attribute amendment we have sptted s far is that Asset Tenure ptins have changed slightly. There are hwever mre changes t the Recmmended Attributes as fllws: Additin f a requirement t state whether an asset is is listed under Part 5 Chapter 3 f the Lcalism Act 2011 and/r an asset which the authrity is actively seeking t transfer t the cmmunity Part 5, Chapter 3 f the Lcalism Act refers t the List f Assets f Cmmunity Value s it shuldn t be t much f an additinal burden t add this infrmatin. Reasn fr Hlding Prperty attribute Optins have changed Number f FTEs in ffice accmmdatin has been drpped Asset Cnditin has surprisingly been drpped when it is an imprtant fundatin f asset management strategy. Functinal Suitability hwever has been retained which whilst being extremely imprtant is less regularly cllected by lcal authrities and may invlve cnsiderable additinal wrk t cllect. VOA asset rateable value has been drpped Ttal building peratin (revenue) csts has been retained. Frm experience we knw there is a wide spectrum f interpretatin fr this area and have sme reservatins abut it being publically available and cmparable. S the big questin is when des this all get intrduced? There is n start date stated within the Gvernment s respnse althugh we understand it is still the intentin fr authrities t start publishing this data frm 1 st April 2014. There is als likely t be sme perid f grace fr authrities t get up t speed but this has nt been cnfirmed t us as yet. 7
Anther questin is why the gvernment are cnsulting again, when they have already dne s? We understand that this is because The Lcal Gvernment Planning and Land Act 1980 states that the gvernment must cnsult where they require infrmatin t be published mre frequently than annually. As the revised Cde requires certain infrmatin t be published quarterly the further cnsultatin is necessary as this pint wasn t previusly made clear. We have als been infrmed that the Department fr Cmmunities and Lcal Gvernment will be hlding wrkshps t share details f the main changes prpsed within the revised Cde and detail f these will be available in the near future. As mre infrmatin becmes available CIPFA Prperty will keep yu infrmed thrugh briefings/circulars, and ur AMP events in February will be invaluable as we will be ging thrugh the details f the transparency agenda. If yu have any questins n this r any current asset management issue, please d nt hesitate t cntact us. CIPFA Prperty The Quadrant Chester West Sealand Rad Chester CH1 4QR 01244 399 699 prperty@cipfa.rg cipfa.rg/prperty Certificate Number 5524 ISO 9001 ISO 14001 8