Agenda - Government Property 2025 | Public Sector Conference

Agenda – plenary and work sessions

QEII Centre, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE
Thursday 13th February 2025

0930 – 1100 Plenary session

Chair: Ravi Chand, Director, Places for Growth, Office of Government Property

Mark Chivers, Government Chief Property Officer, Cabinet Office Shaping Tomorrow:- Unlocking the future of the UK Government property estate

Lynda Rawsthorne FRICS, Government Head of Property Profession, Cabinet Office Future Ready:- Building skills for the next generation of property leaders

Saurabh Bhandari, Director, Property Delivery and Transformation, Office of Government Property Building Better:- Transforming government property to power places and prosperity

The plenary session will end with Q&A, giving attendees the chance to ask questions and promote discussion on the issues which are of most importance to them.

1100 – 1130 Refreshments and networking.

The day continues with case-study based sessions on subjects such as:

1130 – 1200 Sessions

The impact of planning reforms

Using Public Private Partnerships to navigate to Net Zero
The Net Zero agenda is well underway and many public sector organisations will be considering how to navigate this challenge for their assets and estates. Join RLB and panel guests as we explore how public private partnerships can be used to facilitate, support and enable public sector bodies in our cities and regions to fulfill their Net Zero commitments.

Sonia McRobb, Senior Associate, Rider Levett Bucknall
Simon Brown, Partner and Head of Carbon and Energy, Rider Levett Bucknall
More speakers to follow

1210 – 1240 Sessions

Accelerating Place and Productivity: Building a Better UK
To achieve the Government’s ambitious vision for better UK infrastructure, we must overcome entrenched challenges and reimagine how we deliver construction projects. This panel will explore how we can accelerate progress by focusing on the twin themes of place and productivity.

How can we simplify processes, reduce costs, and build faster without compromising on quality or sustainability? Our expert panel will delve into practical strategies and innovative approaches to unlock barriers, enhance collaboration, and deliver tangible outcomes for communities across the UK. Join us to discuss what it truly takes to “make things happen.”

Andrew Bannister, National Key Accounts Manager, SCAPE
David Chambers, Director of Operations, Mace
Dr. Ann Bicknell, Senior People and Organisations Consultant, Arup

Data centres – power hungry facilities? Crown Hosting helps save its customers £1.5bn and between 33kT and 132kT of carbon emissions per year. How much could you save if you used Crown Hosting?
Imagine if the UK public sector as a single entity, had the funds and willingness to build and operate world leading data centre facilities at scale. Enabling organisations to collectively access the most modern of technologies at a fractional cost of alternatives, including cloud, high performance compute (HPC), GPU infrastructures and artificial intelligence (AI), whilst maintaining control and security of the data?

Crown Hosting, a Cabinet Office JV, has been providing exactly this since 2015. In 2024 it provided the facilities, FM, electricity, network connectivity and on-site services for over 6000 racks of public sector IT across 11 data centre buildings. Enabling the public sector organisations that use it to collectively save £1.5bn and between 33kT and 132kT of carbon emissions (CO2 equivalent) per year.

The vast majority of the data servers and storage of the public sector data are not in public cloud or Crown Hosting, but are contained in the 1-4 rack server and machine rooms of offices designed for people. Such rooms are inherently inefficient, simply because of the temperature, humidity, resilience and security requirements of the IT. On average for every £1 of electricity spent powering the IT in such server rooms, another £3 is spent on the electricity of the facility infrastructure, in the worst facilities it is £7. Move the servers and storage out and change the environmental parameters; the remaining telecommunications equipment has much less stringent temperature and humidity requirements, saving not just the money, but also the carbon emissions of the electricity consumption.

Jason will explain and discuss:

How relocating servers and storage Crown Hosting saves the organisations using it, so much money and carbon emissions
Considerations that facility and IT personnel need to make about their own sites to off-site the servers and storage to Crown Hosting
Opportunities that organisations and their supporting IT teams may have by colocating their data with other public sector organisations and with the suppliers of the most modern of IT services

Dr Jason Liggins, CEO, Crown Hosting Data Centres

1240 – 1340 Lunch and networking

1340 – 1410 Sessions

Future proofing our heritage assets – creating modern spaces within a conservation context
The UK Government Property Portfolio includes some of the country’s most precious and historically significant buildings, many of which continue to operate as places of work for our civil servants and the public they serve. Protecting this legacy for future generations, whilst making these important assets future fit is a delicate and complicated balancing act. Decarbonising conservation buildings without detriment to their fabric; creating modern, inclusive and sustainable workplaces whilst preserving their character and protected features; operating and maintaining these buildings within increasingly stretched budgets – all these challenges are faced by many government departments on a daily basis.

Our AtkinsRéalis facilitated panel will discuss how they are tackling these issues with recent examples to illustrate the art of the possible when it comes to future proofing our heritage buildings.

Facilitator: Rand Watkins, Client Director, AtkinsRéalis
Dr David Haygarth, Head of Energy Management, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Sam Carey-Smith, Head of Workplace Design, Government Property Agency
Ruksana Ali, Head of Locations and Asset Management, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Adapting to 2030; legal perspectives on public sector property management”
The Government Property Strategy has the ambition for 2030 of a smaller, better and greener estate. This requires flexibility and adaptability to changing demands and needs for property. Join Sam for a 30-minute session as he takes you through important asset management issues; Sam will offer a litigator’s perspective on matters including break clauses, terminal dilapidations and lease renewals. These involve critical considerations for property sector property professionals who must maintain portfolio flexibility and manage the exit strategies for their buildings.

Sam Maw, Partner, Real Estate Team, Mills and Reeve

1420 – 1450 Sessions

The new normal for UK property
The property market recovery has begun but the pace is less certain. This session will focus on the public sector and look at at the critical issues that will drive the new property cycle. In particular, changing CBDs and growth through the knowledge economy that will change the distribution of property value across sector and geographies.

Adam Challis, Research and Strategy Lead, JLL

Navigating PFI Handback and Heat Networks: Key Issues
Join Nick Helm for an insightful 30-minutepresentation, covering 2 current and relevant topics, tailored specifically for senior civil servants working in public sector property. In the first 15 minutes, Nick will provide a high-level overview of the critical aspects of PFI handback and expiry, highlighting the essential steps and considerations to ensure a smooth transition.
The second half of the session will focus on the implementation of low carbon Heat Networks as part of the drive towards net zero. Nick will discuss the strategic importance of heat networks, the challenges and opportunities they present, and the key factors central government property contacts need to keep in mind. This session promises to be both engaging and informative, offering valuable insights to help you navigate these important topics effectively.

Nick Helm, Partner, Mills and Reeve

1450 – 1520 Refreshments and networking

1520 – 1550 Sessions

From blueprint to Net Zero: Revolutionising estate management through digital twinning
A collaborative presentation which focuses on why, how and (so) what approach to estate and asset management through digital twinning solutions, through the construction lifecycle of develop design and build, operate, and maintain.

Through the lens of the HMP Five Wells project, a new £250m prison for 1,700 inmates, the Ministry of Justice and Kier will discuss how digital twinning has supported a viable path to Net Zero Carbon. This innovative project has enabled significant savings in energy and operational carbon, alongside the use of integrated digital tools used to drive efficiencies in the design, construction and operation of the facility.

James Franklin, Kier Digital Twin Project Director
Raj Singh, Principle Project Manager, Ministry of Justice

Procuring for Social Value – why we should begin with the end
In this session, we explore how public sector procurement can improve social value outcomes through a strategic, alliance-led approach.

Speakers tbc, AECOM

1555 – 1615 Chair’s comments and closing remarks

Ravi Chand, Director, Places for Growth. Office of Government Property

1615 Drinks reception

Following the conference there will be a drinks reception in the exhibition area, we hope you stay to discuss the day

Please note agenda, session times and speakers are subject to change