Birmingham City Council is to undertake a major shake-up of its property estate, which accounts for 40% of land in the city, to create new opportunities for private sector partnerships.
It is also looking into the consolidation of all its planning guidelines documentation to make building simpler and to improve quality of development.
In the biggest strategic reorganisation within the local authority since 2010, the council’s property services function will transfer to the economy directorate on 1 April 2017, under the leadership of strategic director Waheed Nazir.
The move will create new income streams for the cash-strapped local authority, as well as drive both local and regional economies.
Nazir said the council will bring on-board private sector investment and development partners to create joint ventures for future opportunities within the council’s property estate.
Strategic council assets include the £500m proposed Smithfield development on the 35-acre former wholesale markets site in the city centre, the 1.8m sq ft Paradise Circus development – which the council jointly owns with Hermes and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board – and land close to the National Exhibition Centre.
Nazir said: “The restructure will mean an integrated decision making process for property, planning and regeneration, and my team will be responsible for all three functions.”
