Welcome to InFocus, August 2025
Yvette Greener, Client Director
After three and a half years at the Government Property Agency (GPA) this is my final InFocus before I leave to pursue a new role in the wider Civil Service.
My time here has seen rapid growth for the GPA, with 53% of the government office portfolio now under our oversight. We have supported clients through the workplace services transformation programme and made significant progress on the Whitehall Campus and Government Hubs Programmes, delivering substantial savings for taxpayers and playing a key role in helping modernise the Civil Service.
There is still lots to be done to mature our operations and create a platform that is scalable, more fit for purpose and future-proof. We recognise the importance of partnerships and collaborative engagement with you, our clients, during this process and I leave behind a team with a clear focus on delivering meaningful service improvements.
The recent Spending Review has allocated funding for us to complete government hub developments in Darlington, York and Manchester First Street, alongside investment in life cycle replacement, net zero initiatives and interoperable technology such as GovWifi, Audio Visual technology and GovPrint to ensure we continue to deliver great places to work for civil servants across the UK.
The review also confirmed the closure of 11 central London offices including 102 Petty France and 39 Victoria Street to deliver £94 million in annual savings by 2032.
We will now work with departmental partners to prioritise investments within the allocated budgets and explore alternative delivery options for unfunded projects, whilst continuing to support the government’s mission to integrate the civil service more closely with regional communities.
I am delighted that my colleague Carly Ersser has been appointed Workplace Services Director on a permanent basis after joining on an interim basis last November. Carly joins from HM Treasury where she worked closely with the GPA on the Darlington Economic Campus project. She has brought invaluable insight from the client perspective to our Executive Committee in recent months and will continue to do so as we face the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Carly’s expertise and transformation mindset were clearly evident as she joined several panels at UKREiiF in May, championing the GPA and UK Government causes to private and public sector peers at the UK’s leading Real Estate and Investment forum.
In this newsletter you will find out more about our role at UKREiiF and the progress being made across a number of our government hub projects. You can also hear from our Chief Executive Mark Bourgeois in a new podcast.
It’s been a pleasure to work with all of our departmental partners for the last three and a half years and I wish you all the best for the future.
A further update on how we are evolving client management will be shared in due course and as ever our Client Team will be here to help with any of your enquiries. Thank you.
In this issue
Temple Quay House contractor nominated for second award after Considerate Constructors Scheme recognition
Our appointed contractor for Temple Quay House in Bristol was nominated for another major award after it developed an innovation that reduces risks to workers on site.
BAM UK and Ireland’s AI Fixed Exclusion Zone Monitoring System, which operates on a 24/7 setup, prevents unauthorised access to high-risk areas on construction sites and led to the company being named amongst the three nominees in the Health, Safety and Wellbeing category at the Constructing Excellence South West Awards (CESW) 2025.
Developed specifically for Temple Quay House, due to work at significant height on an extensive scaffold system in the atrium, the monitoring system detects workers near danger zones and issues instant visual and audio warnings – significantly reducing accident risk.
The system
- Detects pedestrians through the use of AI, which identifies human silhouettes and movements. If a pedestrian is detected, a speaker will make an announcement, calling on them to take caution.
- Sends cloud-based alerts to the site management team, enabling rapid responses to near-misses or dangerous incidents. The alerts will include video and location evidence, ensuring effective incident management.
- Operates a live camera feed within the exclusion zone, which is marked by a halo red beam, ensuring managers can monitor real-time work activity.
The system was a pilot initiative supported by our Capital Projects team, demonstrating our collaborative and trusted partnerships with the private sector. Following its success at Temple Quay House, BAM is now looking to implement the technology at other sites.
The redevelopment of Temple Quay House will provide accommodation for staff from 18 government departments and agencies. It has generated £48,250 in social value, with over £7 million being spent on the local supply chain. Seventy-two jobs and 23 apprenticeships have been created as a result of the project.
Once finished, the government hub will have an upgraded Energy Performance Certificate and be connected to Bristol’s District Heat Network, reducing the building’s carbon emissions significantly.
Rachel Ashley, our Temple Quay House Project Director, said
Our ambition is to ensure our hubs secure social value benefits to the local region, while reducing carbon emissions as we strive to create a smaller, greener and better government office estate.
We remain committed to delivering a modern and sustainable office space for over 2,000 civil servants in Bristol and look forward to continuing to work with BAM on this project.
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Manchester First Street Departments given a glimpse of new home
In June representatives from seven government departments were given a glimpse of their new office space in Manchester.
As part of our client engagement day, they were provided with a tour of the new Manchester First Street hub as well as updates on the project itself.
Andrew Ford, our Manchester First Street Programme Director, said
Since the project was launched, we have been working closely with the departments that will be accommodated in the building and this engagement day has helped us further understand their aims and requirements.
Manchester First Street is a key priority for our Government Hubs Programme and will provide a high-quality office space for approximately 2,600 Civil Servants in the centre of a major UK city.
We now look forward to progressing the hub, and will continue to engage with the departments ahead of their arrival to the site.
The nine-storey hub, which is just a few minutes’ walk from Oxford Road and Deansgate rail stations, is expected to be ready for occupation by December 2026.
Construction is now entering its final phase with the appointment of Wates to conduct the Category B fit-out, ensuring the building is functional for office use.
It is targeted to achieve a NABERS 5.5 Design for Performance rating, which will make it the first building in Manchester to reach this exceptional sustainability standard.
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26 Whitehall achieves key completion milestone
Since our refurbishment of 26 Whitehall achieved practical completion in May, the Grade 1 listed building has now been fitted out with IT, furniture and flooring ready for occupation.
The works at 26 Whitehall began in December 2021, with the building requiring upgrades to replace mechanical and electrical equipment with efficient systems, as well as work to upgrade the security systems in the building to meet modern government standards. Improvements to the sustainability and accessibility of the building have also been implemented as far as possible within the restraints of Listed Building consent.
The redevelopment has focused on making 26 Whitehall a great place to work whilst also restoring its heritage feature, with practical completion being reached on 14 May.
The completion of the project will also signal the end of the 1 Victoria Street disposal programme, which has reduced the number of buildings in central London and consolidated the government office estate. The closure of 1 Victoria Street will generate savings of approximately £30m in annual running costs.
The office space has been refurbished as part of our Whitehall Campus Programme, which is creating high-quality, shared workspaces that enable smarter working for civil servants in London.
Learn more about the Whitehall Campus Programme.
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Join our GovPass Cross-Government Engagement Group
In April, the Government Property Agency (the GPA) became the sole SRO for GovPass. We’re taking this opportunity to make sure the right things are in place for future years.
We started the GovPass Cross-Government Engagement Group to collaborate on how this can be achieved. Representatives from departments such as HMRC, ICS, DVLA, DfE, DWP and ACAS, to name just a few, meet quarterly to look at ways of enhancing the security and functionality of the GovPass service, while standardising and improving the user experience.
The idea behind GovPass is to give civil servants the flexibility to access GovPass-enabled buildings where they need to work, using a single, authenticated building access card. To achieve this there’s a complex infrastructure to establish, encompassing technology, process, policy, security and ways of working across all of government.
GovPass can’t operate or succeed in isolation – it needs cross-government commitment to consistent standards, aligned policies, compliant ways of working and clear accountability to deliver the benefits of GovPass through a truly secure and scalable service. Together we will build the foundation for secure interoperability by delivering a robust product that is fit for new ways of working.
We welcome more members to the group, including, security, estates and HR leads from across government. If you’re interested please contact the team today at [email protected].
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Enhancing how we manage your information and queries
We’re committed to delivering an excellent experience for our clients. One of the ways we do this is by continually improving how we manage your information and respond to your queries.
Our Client Relationship Management (CRM) system, Salesforce, plays a key role in how we handle client interactions. It enables us to log, assign, and track your queries efficiently – ensuring your requests are managed quickly and effectively.
Earlier this year, we introduced dedicated workflows within Salesforce to support requests related to occupation changes – such as new occupations, renewals, variations, and terminations. These workflows are used by our Client Solutions and Property Team, as well as our Property Partner (BNPPRE), helping us deliver a more streamlined and consistent service when managing your space requirements across our portfolio.
If you receive Portfolio Services from the GPA, you can now track the progress of your requests, referred to as Cases in Salesforce, via the GPA Client Portal. If you would like to know more or need support accessing the portal, your Client Manager will be happy to help.
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Leading the conversation at the UK’s largest real estate forum
In May we teamed up with the Office of Government Property (OGP) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to co-host the UK Government Campus at UKREiiF (UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum).
The largest property industry event in the UK, UKREiiF brought together over 16,000 delegates from across the industry including government partners, developers, landlords and Local Authorities.
Our presence enabled us to forge new relationships across the private and public sectors and to showcase our projects, pipeline and growth ambitions. Our senior leaders and property experts were at the heart of discussions on a range of topics, sharing valuable insights and listening to some of the leading voices in the property and investment sectors.
Across the three days our subject matter experts contributed to 26 speaker slots, highlighting our knowledge and leadership across the property landscape.
As well as OGP and DBT, we collaborated with a further five government bodies in Homes England (HE), Land Registry, Coal Authority, Department for Transport (DfT) and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Day 1 Highlights
Day 1 showcased our deep expertise and strategic vision. Discussions spanned from strategic workforce transformation and prop tech to net zero, collaborative partnerships, placemaking, and the evolving future of sustainable workspaces.
Our CEO, Mark Bourgeois, emphasised how strategic property decisions drive national growth through Civil Service relocations, placemaking and economic development.
Jason McEwen, our Director of Portfolio Management, highlighted government property investment as a catalyst for regional regeneration and improved working environments, exemplified by the Darlington Economic Campus.
Kean Jones, our Chief Technology Officer, explored the transformative power of prop tech within government estates.
Richard Treanor-Smith, our Programme Manager for Net Zero, discussed our commitment to net zero through strategic asset management, data-driven strategies, and collaborative industry alignment.
Georgina Dunn, our interim Capital Projects Director, spoke to the strategic advantages of locations like Croydon. The importance of public-private collaboration in regeneration was a key point from Anna Strongman, one of our Non-Executive Directors.
Alice Clark, our Deputy Director for Strategy, addressed creating future-proofed workspaces, and Jane Hunt, our Deputy Director for Property Portfolio Management, explored the demand for sustainable offices and connected workspaces.
Overall, Day 1 underscored our holistic approach to property – understanding the interconnectedness of strategic planning, technological innovation, sustainability imperatives, collaborative delivery, and future-focused design.
Day 2 Highlights
Day 2 focused on building stronger partnerships and developing future skills. Carly Ersser, our new Workplace Services Director, led a panel on strategic partnerships joined by Ronen Journo, one of our Non-Executive Directors, and Brian McArdle, UK Managing Director at Gleeds (our strategic partner), emphasising innovation and collaboration.
Laura Thomson, our Property Lead for Central and North, articulated our vision for a smaller, smarter estate. The core message? Effective space utilisation and true flexibility are paramount.
Martin Keeler, our HR Director, joined discussions to highlight the urgency of upskilling across all professions, embracing digital advancements and agile ways of working.
Our experts also contributed to key roundtables. We hosted a roundtable where Carly Ersser and Mark Bourgeois participated in “Solving the UK’s productivity puzzle what part can offices play?”, exploring how office estate strategies support productivity and regional growth. Mark also joined the “Unlocking the Potential Delivering True Value in Urban Regeneration Projects” roundtable, which brought together central government, local authorities, developers, investors and community stakeholders to discuss impactful regeneration and integrating financial, social and cultural value.
Georgina Dunn contributed to “The need for speed Accelerating growth”, discussing the correlation between housing and economic growth in the context of the New Towns Programme and planning reforms.
Day 2 reinforced our commitment to being at the forefront of property expertise, driving strategic partnerships, cultivating essential skills, and creating a future-fit estate.
Day 3 Highlights
The final day centred on driving digital transformation and social impact. Carly Ersser was joined by Liam McSweeny, JLL’s Account Director, on the panel discussing government property maintenance, emphasising the need for standardised, quality data and mutually beneficial private sector partnerships.
Martin Keeler contributed to a discussion on diversity and inclusion, reflecting on our progress through staff networks like EmpowHer and Ability+, and the importance of recruitment and skills training.
Jason McEwen explored social value through collaboration, Alice Clark analysed the Places for Growth agenda and its transformative potential, Alexandra Morley, our Business Development Director, joined the ‘Make offices great again’ debate to reimagine workplaces of 2025, and Richard Treanor-Smith closed our UKREiiF journey with a reflective session on our net zero progress.
Day 3 highlighted our focus on addressing critical property challenges, delivering social value, and striving for sustainable transformation.
Looking ahead
Our participation in UKREiiF 2025 provided valuable insights and connections to drive our future initiatives. We will continue to build on these experiences as we strive to be a partner of choice, known for our ambition, collaboration, and commitment to excellence.
Were you at UKREiiF? Let us know what you thought of the Government Campus or join us in getting involved with UKREiiF 2026 by emailing [email protected]
To continue the conversation, follow us on LinkedIn and X.
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