Agenda - Government Property | Public Sector Conference

Registration & Networking 08.30 – 09.25

08:30 – 09:25

Agenda: Morning Plenary

09:30 – 10:40

Chair’s Welcome

Liberty Howson, Fast Stream

People-Powered: Building the Profession the Rewired State Needs

The state is being rewired, and government property is being rewired with it, which means the people who run it need to change too. This is a presentation about what it takes to build a profession confident enough, skilled enough, and connected enough to make that shift work, in every postcode, starting now.

Historic England @ the Government Property Strategy Cobnference

Historic England is Government’s adviser on the historic environment and supports Government in managing its historic estate. Our new strategic plan puts place and growth at its heart, and we want to support Government in delivering better public services and economic growth in places through its historic estate, whether that is advising on how to adapt existing historic properties to make them more energy efficient, or taking a strategic approach to disposing of historic buildings, ensuring that heritage sites are managed to support growth in major sectors of the economy like housing, tourism and the creative industries, delivering the widest possible benefits to the Government, taxpayer and local communities.

Rewiring Property: Delivering the Nation’s New Ambition

As power, funding and accountability move out of Whitehall, the government’s £200 billion estate must move with it, becoming a genuine partner to local and regional leaders rather than a distant landlord.

This keynote from Mark Chivers explores the draft Government Property Strategy 2026-30 and invites the profession to help shape how property delivers good growth, better public services, and disciplined stewardship in every part of the country.

10:40 Refreshments & Networking break

Agenda: Work Sessions

11:10 Details coming soon

11:40 Climate Resilient Estates: Protecting Value and Services in a Changing World

As climate risks intensify, the public sector must ensure their estates are resilient, productive and prepared for the future. This panel will explore how estate leaders are protecting asset value, maintaining critical services and responding to emerging climate challenges.
Drawing on national and local government perspectives, speakers will share lessons learned, practical approaches to climate adaptation and the opportunities created by resilient estates, from healthier workplaces and improved productivity to lower costs, greater sustainability and stronger long-term value. Experts will also examine how climate-resilient estates can support delivery of the Government’s Greening Government Commitments, helping organisations reduce emissions, improve energy performance and create resilient, future-ready places that better serve people and communities in a changing world.

12:10 Building teams that deliver: Lessons from the National Biosecurity Centre

Delivering major government programmes requires more than technical excellence – it depends on bringing together the right people, governance and culture from the outset. Drawing on lessons learned from Defra’s National Biosecurity Centre programme, this session will explore how client teams, delivery partners and technical specialists can work together as a single high-performing team focused on shared outcomes.

Hear firsthand from the programme leaders as they discuss the critical role of partnership, leadership and accountability in driving programme success. Attendees will gain practical insights into creating the conditions for collaboration, establishing effective governance structures, and building the team dynamics needed to deliver complex programmes at scale.

Key takeaways:

The characteristics of high-performing programme teams
How partnership roles can accelerate delivery and improve outcomes
The importance of culture, governance and leadership in programme success
Practical lessons from the National Biosecurity Centre programme that can be applied across government projects

12:40 Lunch & Networking break

13:30 Unlocking the Strategic Value of the Public Estate

Public sector organisations are facing rising maintenance backlogs, capital constraints and pressure to deliver more with less, all while responding to service transformation, net zero commitments and evolving community needs. At the same time, devolution, local government reorganisation and PFI expiry are reshaping how estates are planned, funded and managed. The challenge is no longer simply maintaining buildings, but ensuring the estate actively enables organisational objectives and long‑term value.

This interactive panel will explore how strategic asset management can shift property from an operational requirement to a strategic enabler. Through practical case studies and audience discussion, speakers will examine how to align estate decisions with service outcomes, prioritise investment through evidence‑based approaches and create a clear line of sight from organisational strategy to delivery.

The session will also consider how asset optimisation, cross‑organisational collaboration and a longer‑term view of performance can help tackle backlog pressures, unlock value and maximise the estate’s contribution to communities, public services and place‑based outcomes.

14:00 Details coming soon

14:30 Delivering a more flexible public estate: practical lessons from recent case law

As government estate strategies continue to prioritise flexibility, efficiency and value, many of the real challenges sit in how property arrangements are managed in practice. This session takes a practical look at recent case law affecting three key areas: consent to assignment, termination of option agreements and dilapidations. Henry Mahalski will focus on what these decisions mean for those managing public sector assets day to day, including how to reduce risk, avoid disputes and maintain flexibility across the estate. The session will draw out actionable insights to support better decision making in a constrained and evolving policy environment.