Community planning

Highland Public Sector Property Group

The Highland Public Sector Property Group (HPSPG) is a forum for representatives from public sector organisations across the Highlands to meet, share information and collaborate on public sector property matters.
 

Membership

Property professionals or representatives from the main public sector organisations that have land and property interests across the Highlands, including:

• The Highland Council 
• National Health Service Highland
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
•  Police Scotland
• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Scottish Natural Heritage

Additionally, the following representatives from other affiliate public sector organisations that have land and property interests in the Highlands are invited and welcome to attend and participate in the HPSPG’s meetings and activities:

• Scottish Government
• Scottish Water
• Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
• Cairngorm National Park Authority
• Forestry Commission Scotland
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd
• District Valuer Services

Representatives from other organisations both at a regional and national level have also been invited to attend HPSPG meetings, including the “North Territory Hub Co” Directorate and  Scottish Futures Trust.

Meetings of the Property Group

The Group meets quarterly and is chaired, annually on a rotational basis, by one of the core members.  It is currently chaired by Highlands and Island Enterprise (2017-18), having previously been chaired by Scottish Natural Heritage (2016-17), National Health Service Highland (2015-16), Police Scotland (2014-15), The Highland Council (2013-14 and  2012-13).   

Main business of the group

To seek opportunities for collaborative working leading to:

• More efficient use of public sector land and property; including within offices, depots, workshops and stores
• Creation of shared service arrangements through collaborative working practices; potentially within offices, depots, workshops, stores and with fleet vehicle servicing and maintenance
• Provision of shared access/use of public sector properties, for example, drop-in spaces or hot-desks
• The development of a joint shared mapping tool of public sector partner properties across Highland

To share information, knowledge and experience relating to:

• Organisational change, leading to property development, investment and rationalisation or disposal plans
• Land and property matters or issues of local or national significance that affect the partnership
• Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 legislation and Community Asset Transfers
• Modern, more efficient office accommodation, approaches and working practices
• Benchmarking – sharing information across the public sector office property estate
• Shared procurement opportunities
• Shared occupancy agreements between public sector bodies