Hertfordshire County Council launches three-year plan for £169m projected savings
Hertfordshire County Council expects to raise £169 million from the disposal of land and buildings over the next four years, according to the latest estimates.
Overall, the county council manages a property portfolio of around 2,000 assets, with a combined estimated value in excess of £3 billion.
It generates an annual income of around £18.8 million through lettings and other uses, such as filming locations, with additional income generated by property disposal.
And on Wednesday, county councillors will consider how that portfolio can best be used, at a meeting of the council’s resources and performance cabinet panel.
At that meeting, councillors will be asked to consider the council’s latest strategic asset management plan (SAMP) 2025-2029.
According to a report published in advance of the meeting, the plan sets out “a bold three-year vision” for how the council will leverage its land and property assets.
And, it says, it shows how the portfolio “will not only support service delivery and financial resilience, but also create opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and long-term community benefit”.
It suggests that the current capital receipts target for assets disposed of in 2025/26 is around £42 million. And it says a capital receipts target of £169 million is anticipated from the disposals to March 2030.
Among assets already earmarked for disposal is the council’s former headquarters, County Hall, in Hertford. According to the report, the plan is based around five strategic objectives, which include providing the right assets in the right places to meet need, as well as maximising income, capital receipts and cost efficiencies to support service delivery.
It aims to unlock land and assets to enable housing, regeneration, improved infrastructure and wider economic opportunity – as well as delivering decarbonisation, resilience and improved environmental performance.
And it aims to create modern, safe and attractive workplaces that, it says, enhance the council’s role as ‘an employer of choice’.
According to data within the report, the council’s estate includes 2,276 assets, which in 2024/25 were valued at £3.223 billion. Ten per cent of those assets (228) are recorded as being vacant, and 7% (157) are “assets held for disposal”.
The report says 61% of assets “support HCC’s statutory duties”, 5% “support statutory powers” and 34% are “deployed for non-statutory functions”.
They include 782 assets relating to schools and nurseries and 140 to school playing fields, as well as 290 that form part of the council’s rural estate.
There are 81 assets relating to supported living. 43 to fire service housing, 22 to care/nursing homes, as well as 40 day centres, 46 libraries, 53 family centres and 16 services for young people.
In addition, according to the report, there are 423 other assets that include structures such as telecom masts, garages, portacabins, bus stops, substations and street furniture, as well as verges, footpaths and footbridges.
The SAMP will be presented to a meeting of the county council’s resources and performance cabinet panel on Wednesday. But it will be up to a future meeting of the council’s cabinet to determine whether the plan is approved.