The government has released data which reveals that the Department for Exiting the European Union offered the least amount of office space per person during the 2017-18 financial year.
On average, the government has reduced the average available office space per person in its 38 listed departments to 9.4 sq m in 2017-18, “a 5% improvement on 2016-17”. This compares with a private sector average of 10.7 sq m.
The data was published in the government’s annual State of the Estate report, which tracks how it is managing its property assets.
At Dexeu, the total available space per person is 4.6 sq m (50 sq ft), the smallest figure of all departments, followed by the Charity Commission at 4.8 sq m and the Cabinet Office at 5.1 sq m.
In contrast, the Wales Office has the most space per person, at 19 sq m, followed by the Scotland Office at 15 sq m and Ofgem at 12.6 sq m.
Dexeu, which is headquartered at 9 Downing Street, SW1, is also the most expensive office, with its cost per sq m standing at £1,914 as at March 2018, compared with the government’s average London office cost of £971 per sq m.
Previously, the government had intended to reduce the average space per person to 8 sq m by March 2018. However, it says it is more likely to achieve this target by 2021, as the impact of its hubs programme takes effect.
So far, the Cabinet Office has reduced its space per person the most, from 9.4 sq m to 5.1 sq m, a reduction of 46%, followed by the Government Actuary’s Department (-23%) and the Home Office (-18%).
Overall, 37% of departments met or fell below the 8 sq m target.
Looking at the wider estate, the government has cut the size of its property assets by 1.7m sq ft in 2017-18, reducing its annual running costs by £22m.
It also gained £750m in capital receipts from the sale of more than 400 sites in 2017-18. This means it has raised £2.4bn in the last three financial years.
Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said: “Transforming the government estate to make it operate more efficiently and save taxpayers money is clearly something to be very proud of.
“This work has seen the disposal of a large number of properties that were no longer needed by the government. And in many areas these have been replaced by new offices across the country, enabling smarter working practices, and they are accessible to the communities they serve.”
Earlier this year, the government announced a new strategy to save around £3.6bn over the next two decades by reducing its property estate.
Click here to read EG’s recent interview with the government’s chief property officer, Janet Young.
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