For keen built environment historians, or indeed sector veterans, there is an ever-present sense that the clear benefits from smart and transformative industry reviews and initiatives perennially fail to fully materialise and drive promised change. Whether through inaction, indifference or changing government priorities, those ideas that open the door to profound change and advancement – generally with universal industry approval – have a short shelf-life and further crystalise the perception of a sector that cannot modernise.

Given this history, and with mild trepidation, I am going to call time on this cycle of frustration and missed opportunity. And the reason for this prediction is simply that the individuals that are driving the government’s property programme are as impatient for change as we are. 

The government property strategy discussion I recently chaired was a revelation. Not because everyone agreed that things need to change, and that greater public-private collaboration would be crucial to this success – mostly conference attendees are all on the same page, right? It was actually who was making these remarks: Mark Chivers, director general for government property at the Cabinet Office, Steven Boyd, chief executive of the Government Property Agency and Mike Green, chief executive of Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

…