How Local Authority Estate Teams can achieve 15% cuts

Unlocking the power of data: Smarter estates, practical solutions and measurable impact

Webinar recap: Bellrock's guide to strategic estate optimisation

In our most recent lunchtime webinar, Bellrock brought together a panel of in-house experts to explore how data strategy, asset intelligence and targeted energy interventions are reshaping estate management in 2025. The session led by James Heysmond, with insights from Lee Brown and Elia Diaz offered attendees a practical, insight-driven roadmap for driving down costs, reducing carbon and making smarter investment decisions across property portfolios.

If you missed the session or want to revisit some of the highlights, here's your guided recap.

From proptech pioneers to partners in progress

James Heysmond kicked things off by grounding the conversation in Bellrock's roots; his journey from data consultancy to leading technology strategy for Concerto, Bellrock's integrated workplace management system (IWMS). For those new to the platform, Concerto isn't just a maintenance tool. It's a centralised hub that pulls together data from across your estate: land, property, compliance, energy, finance into one accessible, actionable source of truth.

“Think of it as your estate's black box,” James explained. “Concerto isn't just a system. It's a strategy.”

Born out of public sector complexity, Concerto has since become a go-to solution for private and public sector estates alike, from councils to pension funds. Its popularity lies in its adaptability: helping teams move from reactive fixes to proactive planning.

Why a data strategy is no longer optional

Much of the conversation circled back to a single truth: you can't manage what you can't measure. James painted a familiar picture, estate data scattered across departments, buried in spreadsheets and rarely connected to financial or performance insights.

In a landscape where organisations are being asked to cut 15% from operational budgets, getting serious about data strategy is no longer a nice-to-have it's essential.

James framed it simply: “If you were asked today for your total cost commitment across all school sites, or to compare contractor value across a financial year could you do it?”

The reality? Many estates can't. And those blind spots are costing taxpayers millions.

Practical steps towards strategic estates

Bellrock's approach centres on making this journey feel achievable.

“Start small,” James advised. “Build data incrementally. You don't need to fix everything at once, but you do need to start.”

So, where do you begin?

1. Consolidate disparate systems: Replace patchwork processes with a centralised platform like Concerto.

2. Standardise inputs: Agree taxonomies across departments: think ‘shared language', not silos.

3. Focus on insights: Use KPIs to track performance and identify opportunities for efficiency.

4. Prioritise integration: Bridge your IWMS with finance systems like SAP or Oracle to drive real-time, connected reporting.

Supply chain optimisation: Your hidden goldmine

One of the most immediate wins lies in rethinking the way you engage with your supply chain. Concerto enables a streamlined “procure-to-pay” process, where jobs are verified against agreed schedules of rates and invoices are consolidated to save admin time and reduce errors.

As James highlighted, the cost of processing a single supplier invoice is roughly £35. Multiply that across hundreds (or thousands) of transactions and the opportunity becomes clear.

In one real-world example, a central government client saved over £155,000 in their first year alone simply by tightening controls and automating routine tasks.

Moving beyond maintenance: The asset lifecycle advantage

Next up, Lee Brown, Head of Assets, took the conversation further into proactive territory talking through how Bellrock clients are using structured data to reduce reactive maintenance and plan smarter capital investment.

Lee emphasised three pillars of effective estate strategy:

• Know your estate: What do you own? What condition is it in? Are spaces used efficiently? His team's surveys often uncover unused space, or poorly suited facilities, hiding in plain sight.

• Maintain with Purpose: Accurate asset registers allow clients to bundle works, avoid duplication and spot failing assets before they become costly emergencies.

• Invest Strategically: With condition and lifecycle data in hand, clients can plan capital works based on risk, cost and impact not guesswork.

One client, by mapping condition and performance data, cut their average reactive maintenance order from £235 to £200 aligning with national benchmarks and freeing funds for more impactful improvements.

Sustainability, savings and smarter energy use

With operational costs rising and the pressure to decarbonise growing, Elia Diaz, Head of Energy & Carbon, shared actionable steps to cut energy use and emissions without breaking the budget.

Public sector buildings can waste up to 30% of their energy. But even well-managed estates hide inefficiencies. Elia broke down energy optimisation into four focus areas:

1. HVAC controls: Recommissioning systems, aligning them with actual occupancy and fixing scheduling errors can yield huge savings.

2. Smart lighting: Passive sensors and lighting control upgrades are quick wins often low-cost, high-impact.

3. Insulation and fabric: Targeted improvements help retain heat and lower future capex requirements (especially when prepping for heat pump installs).

4. Renewables: Strategic investment, backed by strong data, opens doors to grants like the Low Carbon Skills Fund or Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Elia's team helped one national client save £527,000 in a year through real-time data and remote triage. Nearly 400 engineer visits were avoided by diagnosing issues remotely, reducing downtime and extending asset life.

Where to start if you're not sure where to start

The final Q&A focused on practical first steps. James's advice?

“Get your data in order. Understand where your money goes. Then start layering insight on top.”

Lee added that many local authorities begin with a specific asset type or service area, like leisure centres or temporary school buildings, rather than the full estate.

And Elio reminded us that energy strategy starts with visibility:

“Know where you're using energy, when, and why. That's the foundation for any smart decision.”

Bellrock: Helping you take the next step

From asset condition to energy use, the message was clear: your data isn't just a record. It's a tool. It's the key to unlocking savings, improving service delivery, and making the journey from reactive to strategic estate management.

So, whether you're looking to capture your first condition survey or ready to integrate real-time energy reporting, Bellrock is here to help: trusted, insightful, and ready to be your partner in progress.