The strategy is aligned with the council’s ‘Stronger, Greener, Fairer’ policy agenda, the Replacement Local Development Plan, and One Planet Cardiff.

The strategy seeks to modernise the estate, increase income, and reduce the carbon footprint of council-owned buildings and land by focussing on five key areas up to 2030:

·       Carbon reduction: Cut the carbon impact of the council’s estate by 20% in line with the One Planet Strategy.

·       Estate rationalisation: Improve the efficiency of the property portfolio and reduce running costs by £600,000.

·       Statutory compliance: Achieve and maintain compliance levels of at least 80% or higher across the Estate.

·       Property disposals: Sell non-essential properties to raise £10m.

·       Commercial income: Increase leasehold property income by £700,000 and consider selling underperforming properties.

Over the past decade, the council has had to save more than £210m with financial pressures mounting each year, innovative solutions are needed to help fund essential services like social care, education, and housing and the council is looking at how it can utilise its property portfolio to help do that, either through sales or reducing maintenance and running costs. 

Currently, Cardiff Council manages 300 freehold operational properties, including schools, venues, depots, offices, and sports facilities, costing around £40m annually. Additionally, the council leases 420 properties to community groups and organisations, generating £4m in income each year.

Cllr Russell Goodway, Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, explained the new strategy: “We’re realigning our targets from 2021 to 2025 to reflect the latest priorities for our land and property estate. Our property estate is a vital corporate resource that must support the council’s business goals.

“Over two-thirds of our estate consists of schools, which is why we’re focusing on building new, modern educational facilities.

“With many staff now working hybrid, we’re proposing a new core office in Cardiff Bay. This new build will cost less than half the price of refurbishing County Hall and will be cheaper to run each year.

“We need to modernise our estate to ensure it is fit for purpose and meets statutory compliance. We’re setting clear targets to reduce our carbon impact. Properties that are vacant, costly to maintain, and don’t fit our vision will be sold. We’re also reviewing all operational buildings and leasehold properties to increase income and assess whether underperforming properties should be sold. “The tasks ahead are significant but achievable. We’re committed to finding ways to increase income to support vital services like education, social care, and affordable housing.”