AY to advise Liverpool on public estate strategy
Avison Young, a long-term advisor to the city council, has been appointed as strategic property partner to drive forward development of its portfolio.
Liverpool City Council said that the firm, established in the city and its surrounds for many years, will support its “ambitious plans for further investment in, and improvements to, its buildings and spaces, working collaboratively to shape plans and inform policy over the next three years”.
Building up the advisory network around LCC can be seen as part of the city’s move into a post-commissioner era: last week the government-appointed commissioners appointed to Liverpool told Secretary of State Michael Gove they are no longer required and will step down in June.
AY has been managing the council-owned Spine building in Paddington Village, in the city’s Knowledge Quarter, since January, and will now be looking at how best to improve commercial return from other assets, from the grade one-listed Cunard building to Croxteth Country Hall.
Changes made at LCC include the council’s cabinet approving the introduction of a property improvement plan, which will enable the council to accelerate its regeneration priorities, drive place-based investment, support the economy and local businesses, and promote better outcomes for communities.
AY’s remit will include co-designing the development of a strategic approach to the management of the council’s property assets, the design and roll out of a new Corporate Landlord model and to provide real estate advice on the local authority’s workplace strategy.
The firm will also provide senior experienced resources to augment LCC’s existing staff to support on valuation and property management activities.
This external appointment will contribute to improved data quality to enable effective decision-making, increased efficiencies in terms of the use of the council’s buildings and spaces and strengthen the resilience of its property management team.
Cllr Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy at Liverpool City Council, said: “The appointment of Avison Young is great step forward in how the City Council delivers best value on the management of its properties, now and into the future.
“Avison Young is a team with exceptional knowledge of Liverpool, its people, its communities and its strengths, paired with national expertise and an international outlook, will help us to develop and deliver plans that unlock an ambitious and exciting future for the city at this critical juncture.
“This partnership, which will see the implementation of the new Property Improvement Plan, will better enable us to deliver for communities, strengthen our proposition as a city, and collaborate with partners to drive forward improvements to enable growth.
“We look forward to working in partnership with Avison Young, engaging collaboratively in stakeholder engagement to shape planning and policy that drives forward positive change at pace.”
Stephen Cowperthwaite, regional managing director for Liverpool and managing director of UK Regions at Avison Young UK, said: “This nationally significant appointment reflects the quality and depth of Avison Young’s knowledge across our regional and national teams.
“This, coupled with the ambition of the leadership and Council teams, will create a step change in realising the opportunities for long-term sustainable and inclusive growth that benefits communities and attracts investment.
“Our team are experts in their fields, with experience working on many of the city’s flagship regeneration projects.
“We know the importance of local authorities delivering for their communities, and we’re well placed to support the strategic objectives of the Council going forward, building a modernised, fit-for-purpose property portfolio to bring the city’s ambitions into the future.”
AY have big task on their hands! The council do not actually know what they own these days! LCC need to make sure that all reports, files, studies are shared and kept by LCC – not by the consultant. Some consultants hold things on their drives and want paying each time they provide.
Croxteth Country Park/Hall apparently has some plants and botanicals that were on a par with Kew Gardens – lets see this brought back to former glory. What’s happening with Everton library – please give that back to community use – let it be something for the community like the Florence Institute and not burned down like so many beautiful buildings before! Sort London Road out – that beautiful old NatWest building is going to fall down and the Fabric District generally.
By Lizzy Baggot
Collaboration is mentioned a few times here but LCC hasn’t been that collaborative in the recent past. You only get somewhere in today’s economic climate by working with the private sector getting them to invest and provide jobs, then you get population growth and less dereliction because of more demand. Putting height restrictions on developers isn’t a good sign , as well as stringing out planning application decisions for months on end eg Packaged Living are still awaited on their Old Hall St site and the Carpenter development on Kings Dock St nearly bit the dust.
By Anonymous
If it works then OK.
By Sid
This could be great news in terms of stopping LCC being an obstacle to development, inward investment and hopefully will help get the city move forward again. That said AY need to be given proper decision making power to turn this around. If the appointment is purely to provide strategic advice and reports that are then forgotten about I really believe nothing will change.
What we need is fast reactive decision making that encourages investments into property. Too often LCC as freeholder stymies positive regeneration, the exact opposite of what I’m sure its councillors want to achieve.
By Anonymous
Nothing changes if nothing changes .
By Anonymous
Everton Library is mentioned above, it’s a beautiful little stand out building, but it’s rotting before our eyes. Where is the vision to keep this building and put it to a good use, maybe a health centre or services office work spaces. Behind the building is an open space with grass and shrubs which is classic Liverpool where something was demolished with no thought of what would replace it. Why not approach a developer who could put some nice townhouses on part or all of the site and then make the area a focal point instead of somewhere that hardly merits a 2nd glance at present.
By Anonymous
Everton Library is one of the finest buildings in Liverpool and it does the council no credit whatsoever that it has been left to rot, with no proactive plan to engage developers.
By More Anonymous than the others
Everton library and the church on Princess Avenue both in need of restoration
By Anonymous