Maintenance backlog on government buildings hits £49bn with true figure likely to be higher

The National Audit Office has estimated that the government’s maintenance backlog is at least £49bn with the figure likely to be higher.

In a report out today, the government’s spending watching said Ministry of Defence properties, schools and NHS properties have a backlog totalling more than £10 billion each and make up 88% of the total backlog.

Sites including prisons, job and assessment centres, courts, and museums and galleries have backlogs less than £2 billion each and make up the remaining 12%.

It said the Office of Government Property believed the true cost to be higher because the government’s data on the condition of its properties is incomplete and out of date.

It added: “Poor property condition can also negatively affect civil service productivity, staff retention and the government’s ability to meet environmental targets.”

The report said there were a range of reasons for the backlog – from the cost of work increasing to several buildings requiring replacement at the same time and historic underinvestment.

The NAO said the government needed to come up with “a standardised definition of the maintenance backlog, so the true figure across government can be calculated”.

It added: “Departments [need to] produce long-term property plans, setting out capital needs and a plan to reduce their backlog.”

NAO head Gareth Davies said: “Allowing large maintenance backlogs to build up at the buildings used to deliver essential public services is a false economy. Government needs better data on the condition of its operational assets and should use it to plan efficient maintenance programmes to deliver better services and value for money.”