Bexley Council has approved a new asset management strategy to guide the management, investment, and utilisation of the council's property assets from 2025 to 2029. The strategy aims to balance the goals of maximising income and ensuring social value, promoting sustainable use for future-proofing of assets rather than reactive short-term decisions.
The decision was made at a Public Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 23 October 2025, where cabinet members discussed the strategy's five key themes: optimal building use, maximisation of income, reduced operating costs, support for the growth and regeneration agenda, and ensuring social value.
Councillor Cafer Munur, Cabinet Member for Place Shaping, emphasised the importance of the asset strategy for ensuring effective management of public land and buildings to support community needs and deliver value for money. The integrated performance report also states that the asset strategy is crucial for ensuring that public land and buildings are managed effectively to support community needs and deliver value for money.
Councillor David Leaf, Deputy Leader of the Council/Cabinet Member for Resources, thanked officers and members of the Open and Scrutiny Committee for their contributions to the strategy's development. He said:
I also want to reiterate my thanks to officers who have spent a lot of time and effort putting the strategy together and also to colleagues, I see a number of them are here from the Open and Scootenay Committee who in the summer also cast their eyes over the draft of this strategy, asked a number of questions and gave feedback which has informed this final document.
Councillor Richard Diment, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, highlighted the inclusion of green infrastructure and the importance of parks, open spaces, and allotments, as well as the role of the borough's 20 car parks in supporting the local economy.
The asset management strategy is closely linked to the council's corporate objectives, as illustrated in the Public Cabinet reports pack. The strategy aims to ensure that the council's property portfolio supports its wider goals, such as housing delivery, regeneration, and service delivery.
The strategy also outlines a strategic asset management process, which includes assessing, maintaining, adapting, rationalising, compliance, commercialisation, and review and monitoring. This process is designed to ensure that the council's assets are used in the most financially advantageous way for the borough. The criteria for rationalisation and disposal are not explicitly detailed in the provided meeting summary or transcript, but the Asset Management Strategy includes a property challenge process to assess the need for and performance of individual assets. This process considers cost, utilisation, suitability, and liabilities within the context of service strategies and financial resources. Assets deemed surplus to requirements after this assessment may be considered for disposal. The commercial portfolio will also be subject to review to ensure value for money.