Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what land or buildings owned by, leased by, or under the control of, the Department for Communities and Local Government they are seeking to dispose of, and for what purposes.

The Government has made a commitment to release surplus government owned property with capacity of at least 160,000 homes and raising at least £5 billion from land and property disposals by 2020. Details of the government land and property released over the previous financial year will be published as part of the Transparency Review in summer 2017.

Our estate is comprised of administrative offices and other land holdings and we continue to keep the Department and Communities and Local Government (DCLG) estate under review to ensure that it meets the needs of the business. In line with central guidance, surplus property is first offered to other departments for reuse, free schools, or transfer to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for much needed new homes or development. It is then offered to the open market. Leasehold properties are also exited via lease break options and lease expiry opportunities.

During 2015/16 the DCLG and HCA disposed of 158 sites worth over £122 million.