Property controls: guidance for public bodies

1. Ministerial Introduction

As the Minister for Public Finance, I have the privilege of overseeing the Single Scottish Estate (SSE) Programme within my portfolio, and I am delighted to launch our new Property Controls – Guidance for Public Bodies.

We are working in collaboration and co-operation with our partners across the Scottish public sector to ensure efficient use of existing buildings. Careful strategic asset planning and best practice estate optimisation, supported by these new property controls, will help us deliver the best possible services to the public where needed and when required.

The Property Controls Guidance is aimed at all public sector bodies involved in property management and acquisition. It builds on existing good practice, provides clear guidance on the processes for leaseholds and property acquisitions, and ensures consistency across the Scottish public estate whilst supporting the evolving property needs for improved public service delivery.

The new templates included have been developed following excellent stakeholder engagement and aims to make the process well-defined and more streamlined. The guidance documents will help public bodies articulate their property needs effectively, ensuring that decision-making is based on robust data and is aligned with broader government objectives, such as public service reform (PSR), the transition to net-zero, inclusive growth, and supporting new ways of working.

This guidance is integral to supporting the objectives of the SSE Programme, which aims to create a more efficient, sustainable, and value-driven approach to managing the public sector property estate. By applying these property controls we can transform and repurpose the Scottish public sector properties, ensuring that organisations work across traditional boundaries to maximise the value derived from public estate, step towards net-zero targets, contribute to efficient use of public resources, and improve the management of the Scottish Ministers’ estate.

In conclusion, the Property Controls Guidance will provide invaluable support in delivering the SSE Programme objectives collaboratively with our public bodies, driving efficiency, enhancing service delivery, and supporting Scotland’s broader net zero and economic goals.

Mr. McKee, Minister for Public Finance