Having already delivered £23 billion of savings under the Gershon programme, and with a further £30 billion about to bite in the 2008-2011 spending round, public sector bodies are now under increased pressure to reduce costs as a result of the impact of the economic downturn on the government's finances. Evidence of this was apparent in the Chancellor's announcement in the Budget that he plans to set up a Public Value Programme, which will set further challenging targets for savings up to 2013.

Against this backdrop, both central and local government will need to look closely at their holdings of land and property to see how they can achieve greater efficiencies. These are likely to include the following:

• transferring ownership of assets to the private sector where this secures better value for money through access to new funding and skills, or by placing risk where it can be better managed
• dentifying and capitalising hidden assets
• increasing value for money from retained assets and property
• selling surplus assets to free resources for new investment.
  

With the support of the Office of Government Commerce and Partnerships UK, City & Financial is therefore organising this timely conference in order to guide delegates through a variety of strategies and techniques that can be used to achieve the four types of efficiency measures listed above. Through a combination of formal presentations, case studies and panel discussions, the speakers will describe in a highly practical way the opportunities and challenges faced by the public and private sectors in effective estate rationalisation.

Conference Chairman
Stephen Dance, Director, Partnerships UK

Government and Public Sector Speakers
Michael Burt, Director of the Government Estate Transformation, Office of Government Commerce
Steve Carr, Head of Policy and Economics, Corporate Strategy Unit, English Partnerships
Alan Couzens, Project Director, Partnerships UK
Alan Fenton, Estates Director, Her Majesty's Courts Service, Ministry of Justice
Anna Hutchings, Head of Client Development, Valuation Office Agency
Richard Nelson, Project Manager, Defence Estates, Ministry of Defence
Andrew Rowson, Project Director, 4ps
Charles Stevens, Head of Estates and Projects, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
 
Private Sector Speakers
David Bowler, Managing Director, Vinci plc and Director, VSM Estates
Chris Brain, Construction & Property Adviser, CIPFA/IPF
Ian Ellis, Chief Executive, Land Securities Trillium
Stephen Foot, Director, Concerto Consulting
John Garrity, Assistant Director, Infrastructure and Advisory Team, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Rob Hamilton, Managing Director, Instant Offices
Stuart Knight, Head of Local Government Sector, Drivers Jonas
Colin Knott, Director, Corporate Restructuring, Colliers CRE
Chris Marks, Regeneration Partner, DLA Piper
Nick Prior, Partner, Deloitte
Vicky Smith, Director, Deloitte

Among the more specific issues to be discussed are:

• Delivering effective and efficient property management for the central civil estate
• Practical issues involved in achieving effective estate management and use
• Leveraging local property holdings and the role of local asset-backed vehicles
• Property outsourcing as an effective tool
• Realising financial value from government land and property
• Combining a PPP real estate solution with a substantial technology and change programme
• Lessons from Project MoDEL for both central and local government
• The effective use of public sector owned brownfield sites in regional regeneration projects
• Optimising receipts in a falling property market

The event is being held at:
Thistle Marble Arch
Bryanston Street
London W1H 7EH
Tel: 0870 333 9116      
Fax: 0870 333 9216
Website: www.thistlehotels.com/marblearch

Nearest Tube Stations:
Marble Arch (Central Line)
Bond Street (Central & Jubilee Lines)

• Estate Rationalisation in Central and Local Government (Documentation)