Bexley Council is undertaking a review of its property assets, which are valued at £706 million and include over 690 assets, to ensure they are being used effectively and efficiently, contributing to the council's goals of improved service delivery, value for money, and sound financial management as part of its transformation programme.
The council faces a significant budget gap over the next few years:
- 2026/27: £32.658m
- 2027/28: £38.490m
- 2028/29: £43.893m
- 2029/30: £46.842m
The Asset Management Strategy for 2025-2029 was discussed at a meeting of the Finance & Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, 22 July 2025. The strategy aims to provide a framework for the effective use and management of the council's property assets.
Alan McCarthy, Interim Head of Property, explained that a key aspect of the strategy involves undertaking an asset challenge process with all service directorates to assess their property requirements. This will be part of the transformation programme, with regular updates provided through that governance.
Councillor Stefano Borella noted a discrepancy in the number of assets listed in the Public Reports Pack, and requested clarity on the matter. Alan McCarthy clarified that the portfolio size is actually 690 assets, not 750, and that this would be corrected in the survey.
Councillor Larry Ferguson inquired about the possibility of selling assets to alleviate the council's financial situation. Councillor David Leaf responded that the council does have a disposals programme, and that some of those sites are in the Bextico pipeline. The specific types of properties included in the Bextico pipeline were not detailed in the meeting information.
Councillor Chris Ball raised concerns about the timescales for the asset management strategy, questioning whether the council was delaying the transformation programme because the property aspects were lagging behind.
Councillor Nick O'Hare asked if it was possible to have a coloured code on the map on page 83 of the Public Reports Pack so that it was clearer.
The Asset Management Strategy delivery plan includes a centralised property database, which Councillor Leaf said would help inform maintenance schedules and the capital programme. The implementation of this database is expected to take one to two years.
Ross Brown, Director of Finance, said that the council is deploying a number of different tools and techniques to try and shut the budget gap, and that transformation is not the only game in town.
Nikki Morris, provided an update on the capacity of the property team, saying that the council had increased the capacity at the head of service level, and that they were engaging a strategic partner which will allow them to be able to meet the needs of the demands on the team as they peak and trough, and that this partner will provide services for which the council doesn't have every specialism in the team.