English Devolution Whitepaper

Devolution = Seismic revolution: Insights from the GovNews webinar

On a lively afternoon packed with insights, GovNews hosted a powerful online event titled “Devolution = Seismic Revolution”, bringing together public sector leaders and experts to discuss one of the most pressing and transformative topics in UK local governance today, devolution and its impact on estates, infrastructure and service delivery.

Setting the stage

Hosted by Mark Blanchard, Founder and Public Sector Director of GovNews, the webinar explored how devolution is reshaping public sector estates management, regional collaboration and funding strategies. The event featured two key speakers:

• James Kingington, Assistant Director of Estates and Asset Management, Stockport Council

• Matt Hickley, Public Sector Specialist, Concerto (a division of Bellrock)

This event followed on from GovNews' recent podcast series “The People Behind the Buildings” and white paper “Estates 2.0”, continuing the conversation on government property innovation and reform.

The shift toward strategic authorities

A major focus of the discussion was how the transition from traditional local governance structures to more strategic, regionally-led authorities is impacting long-term estate planning and public service delivery.

James Kingington shared:

• Stockport's proactive role within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and how devolution has empowered them with more flexible and tailored funding.

• The importance of collaborative resource sharing, particularly in specialised areas like decarbonisation, where GMCA-level initiatives allow for broader impact.

• Strategic authorities offer a chance to pool expertise across boroughs, enabling smaller councils to tap into skills and systems they may lack individually.

Technology as the backbone of devolution

Matt Hickley emphasised the critical role of digital transformation in ensuring the success of devolution efforts.

• Through Concerto's Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS), councils can create a single source of truth for estate data, which is key for compliance, rationalisation and decision-making.

• Matt described devolution as a “double signal”: it gives councils autonomy and budget responsibility, while also demanding evidence-backed results something technology is vital in delivering.

• The conversation also explored the growing role of AI in predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and investment planning, helping councils stretch limited budgets further.

Risks and realities

While the opportunities are vast, both speakers cautioned about potential pitfalls:

• Data integration challenges, especially during mergers and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), can risk compliance gaps and asset oversight.

• Loss of local knowledge was a key concern especially when transferring oversight to broader authorities. Maintaining community identity and service quality remains vital.

• Cultural clashes between organisations sharing space or services were also highlighted, though James noted councils are uniquely positioned to handle this due to their diversity of services and collaborative history.

Rural vs urban needs

A recurring comment from attendees was the concern that devolution discussions often skew urban. James and Matt acknowledged that rural areas have distinct requirements and success depends on strategic frameworks that balance urban growth with rural protection, especially around environmental assets and development priorities.

The talent gap

Another hot topic was the shortage of surveyors and estates professionals in the public sector. James advocated for:

• Shared apprenticeship and graduate schemes across combined authorities

• More flexible, human-cantered hiring strategies

• Stronger career paths and cross-borough opportunities to retain talent

Building smarter, together

One of the standout themes was the potential for smarter estate sharing across public services.

• With models like the Government Hubs Programme, there's potential for councils to replicate this “frictionless” workspace sharing, enabling more flexibility and efficient use of assets.

• But as Matt noted, success hinges on clear data governance, standardized classification systems (like Uniclass and SFG20), and cross-organisational buy-in.

Contractors and the supply chain

A unique perspective came from a contractor in attendance, asking how suppliers can support councils through LGR. The advice? Be proactive, be collaborative and share insights from elsewhere. The best suppliers are partners, not providers.

Where capital meets strategy

On the topic of funding, James described the benefit of multi-year pots with cross-departmental flexibility now available under devolution. This strategic freedom allows local leaders to prioritise high-impact projects rather than chase ring-fenced central funding.

The AI advantage

To close the session, Matt gave a live demo of Concerto's technology, showing how AI is being integrated to:

• Analyse maintenance backlogs

• Optimise budget spend

• Spot anomalies across large property portfolios

The potential for AI to supercharge data-driven decisions was clear but as both speakers agreed, success still depends on high-quality data, local insights and human judgment.

Final thoughts

Devolution is more than a political reshuffling. It's a radical reimagining of how public services and infrastructure are managed across the UK. With the right technology, partnerships and mindset, local authorities have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape their estates and empower communities.