Peter Gregory and Betty Albon provide a comprehensive overview of the 2026 ACES National Conference in Southend-on-Sea, detailing sessions on the housing crisis, planning viability, public-private partnerships, workforce recruitment, and the strategic impact of Local Government Reorganisation.

Maddie Thomson from Knight Frank explores why strategic asset management must act as a core leadership discipline during public sector reform, ensuring estate decisions, operating models, and service delivery remain aligned around place and community outcomes.

Chris Skipworth highlights why the Five Eyes cyber risk warning applies urgently to local authorities, showing how property and estates teams can build an essential first line of defence against attacks by treating logins as a managed asset class.

Alicia Gristwood of Park Avenue Recruitment explores the vital link between recruitment, development, and retention in local government property teams, urging leaders to "make the career visible" to attract and keep future talent.

Mary-Jane O’Neill of Lambert Smith Hampton examines the August 2026 NPPF in practice, detailing emerging appeal trends, station-led density opportunities, grey belt potential, and why estates teams should conduct a strategic portfolio review.

Donna Best FRICS of RICS explores what full Red Book compliance looks like in practice for public sector property teams, covering financial reporting standards, defensible audit trails, rotation policies, and the responsible adoption of AI.

Stuart Knight and Mark Walshe share candid lessons and practical guidance from Cumberland Council's transition to a unitary authority, covering asset rationalisation, team integration, data management, and navigating change.

Alex McKinlay, Head of Public Sector Land at Savills, explains how local authorities can use whole-plan viability testing and strategic public land assets to bridge policy ambitions with deliverable housing and infrastructure outcomes.

Grace Esberger of Park Avenue Recruitment speaks with local authority property heads about tackling the skills shortage, balancing permanent hiring with strategic interims, and growing their own surveying pipelines through clear career pathways.

Carter Jonas specialists Alexandra Houghton, Sophie Davidson, and David Johnson analyze the uneven recovery across UK housing, commercial property, and strategic land, outlining key viability risks, market polarisation, and strategic asset choices for local authorities in 2026.

Working with the public sector requires a unique approach because success isn't just measured by profit, but by community value and social outcomes. Phil Farrell shares insights on how public sector surveyors can cut through complex procurement, locate true property specialists, and build the trust required to get the most out of their private sector consultants.

The Department for Education’s (DfE) updated nonstatutory guidance on school land transactions has major procedural and legal implications for local authorities. From stricter consent discipline and rigid "nil-value" principles to the heightened scrutiny surrounding playing field disposals, councils must adjust to longer transaction lead times. Amanda Timcke breaks down why early legal alignment is vital to navigating these sharpened risk points without stalling key developme

While underlying market demand for vibrant urban centers remains strong, mounting viability constraints and high construction costs make independent delivery difficult. Alex McKinlay highlights how public-private partnerships can strategically bridge this gap. By analyzing active models across Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, this piece shows why public sector land assembly, planning certainty, and infrastructure investment are essential to unlo

The London Bridges Walk saw ACES members, families, and colleagues from across the public sector come together for a grueling yet rewarding 25 km trek along the Thames Path. Author Daniella Barrow recaps the journey from Hammersmith to Tower Bridge, reflecting on how London's iconic crossings—from the structural adaptations of Hammersmith Bridge to the modern sustainability integrations at Blackfriars—serve as vital case studies for real estate long-term stewardship. Learn mo

Transforming underutilized town centre real estate into thriving community spaces requires deeper collaboration between local authorities and grassroots groups. Drawing on real-world case studies from Sheffield, Chichester, and the Wirral, Bex Trevalyan from Platform Places explores how dedicated council roles, adapted grant cashflow models, and cross-departmental site visits can shift internal legal and finance mindsets to replace risk avoidance with shared community value.

Despite constant criticism from rating agents, trade bodies, and politicians, the business rates system remains a remarkably efficient revenue-generating tool for local government. Chris Grose, Director in the Hartnell Taylor Cook Business Rates Team and Junior Vice President of the IRRV, evaluates the main arguments raised by dissenters. Examining tax multipliers, historic rental valuation lags, and empty property rates burdening landlords, he outlines why radical overhauls

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) provides a unique structural opportunity to completely rethink and reshape the public estate. However, experienced property strategist Guy Brett warns that the critical months leading up to vesting day are often consumed by immediate legal, data, and compliance operational realities. This post explores the technical challenges of modern boundary reorganisation—including handling s16 agreements, s24 disposal controls, title gaps, and polit

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The "Freemen-on-the-Land" (FoTL) movement presents a growing challenge for local authorities, complicating straightforward asset management and debt recovery with pseudo-law arguments rooted in the "sovereign citizen" movement. High Court Enforcement Officer David Asker outlines the core beliefs of these groups—such as claims of immunity from statute law and demands for "wet-ink" signatures. Discover practical legal frameworks, the operational advantages of securing a writ of

Property asset management systems serve as the operational backbone for local authority estates teams managing highly complex public portfolios. While the market has heavily standardized around a few key software providers, a critical benchmark survey delivered by Remit Consulting and ACES reveals significant gaps in how these platforms are monitored. Discover data-driven insights on heavy workloads, weak post-implementation data auditing, and how Local Government Reorganisat