Read the text of this document (8 pages)
Page 1
SCOPING REPORT
Major Review
Working Title
"Maximising Council Spaces: A Review of Business and
Private Hire Opportunities"
Committee Corporate Resources and Infrastructure Select Committee
Review Year 2025/26 MY
1. OBJECTIVES
Aim of review
The review aims to assess the availability and utilisation of Council -owned spaces for private
hire and temporary letting use. The objective would be to identify opportunities for the
optimisation and commercialisation of these spaces, ultimately benefiting the local economy,
community and generating additional revenue for the Council.
Terms of Reference
1. To identify all Council -owned spaces available for hire, including halls, rooms i n
buildings and libraries, rooms in the Civic Centre, and any other spaces managed by
the Council.
2. To assess their current usage, facilities and the promotion of these spaces and identify
ideas and opportunities to maximise income at such spaces for commercial, public and
private use.
3. To explore marketing potential, an online register and booking service for such spaces,
detailing their suitability for different types of events, locations, facilities, conditions,
and management – aligned to any efficient regulatory requirements.
4. To explore best practice and synergies with partner, businesses and any other local
organisations who may also hire spaces for events or provide services to events in
spaces.
5. To review levels of fees and charges against private and public competitors to
maximise income.
6. To present to Cabinet innovative and deliverable recommendations on the resourcing
required, investment needed and charges to maximise income from these spaces,
contributing to, and ideally, exceeding existing income targets.
2. BACKGROUND
Context
Hillingdon offers various spaces for hire, including commercial properties like office spaces,
market stalls and industrial units, event venues such as community centres, halls, and outdoor
spaces, theatres, and library meet ing rooms. These spaces cater to all manner of business
operations, private events, and community activities.
Page 2
The Council itself has numerous opportunities for commercialisation and better usage of its
assets, spaces and rooms. Given Hillingdon’s position between London and the counties and
great transport connections, there is the potential to further market these and commercialise.
For residents, the ability to easily find and use local venues for family events would also
support the Council’s mission.
Scope
It is suggested the review considers , where feasible, the use of, and marketing of all the
relevant assets the Council owns to maximise the opportunities for income. As a guide,
therefore, it is suggested the review initially focuses on the following spaces:
Halls of all sizes, with or without stages etc, ( e.g., the Manor Farm estate in Ruislip,
village Halls, small theatres, individual rooms or collections of rooms,
Rooms in halls, buildings and libraries,
Rooms in the Civic Centre
Any other space owned / managed by the Council
Appropriate outdoor spaces that could be hired and used for suitable outdoor events.
Those spaces designated specifically to a council service, e.g. Adult Education, to see
if there is any potential of co-use of spaces and rooms outside service requirements.
On assets that may not be suitable, it is suggested that the review does not look in detail at
the leisure facilities currently marketed by the Council’s Leisure Operator GLL for sports use,
which has its own booking and marketing facility, but lessons could be learnt from how well
used or effective this is.
Similarly, this review is about temporary hire or short-term letting, so it may not be practical
to review any longer commercial or business leasing arrangements of Council facilities, e.g.
shopping parades . Notwithstanding this, should opportunities present themselves around
such leasing arrangements, e.g. as marketing empty shops, in the spirit of this review, the
Committee may wish to consider this.
Involving witnessess from local businesses, universities and the voluntary sector to
understand their needs and how they can use council services will be useful. Also exploring
best practice from other London boroughs and considering how they manage and use assets.
The Committee is keen to focus on a user centric approach including mapping out existing
assets, understanding user needs and involving the community ni the process.
Known factors
At present there is no central register of all known hireable spaces of this type, who is
responsible for them, how they are let or most importantly, how they are promoted or if they
are promoted at all. It appears there is a lack of any comprehensive understanding of what
spaces are available, their potential and strategic management and marketing of these
spaces.
The Committee is aware of some good practice examples of the marketing of spaces, e.g. by
the library service for their rooms at Theatres, Manor Farm and the Bunker (links at end of
Page 3
report). Room hire is one of their main income generators and are looking to maximise this by
providing more rooms with better access in the future. The Service uses a system called
Booking Plus to promote and take payment with a reduction in wasteful and transactional
work.
Connected activity
1. Strategy - The Council Strategy 2022 – 2026 does not explicitly mention the impact on
Council-owned spaces (rooms) for business, private hire, letting, and
commercialisation in the Borough. However, it does emphasise making the best use
of land and buildings, which could imply optimising the use of Council -owned spaces
for various purposes, including business and private hire. Additionally, the focus on
promoting investment, business growth, and supporting local businesses may
indirectly support the commercialisation of Council-owned spaces. This aligns with the
ambitions for the Council to be an efficient well run digital enable council offering a
central base of information that can improve the lives of residents.
2. Budget - The Cabinet’s budget proposals for 2025/26 include an income target of £40k
for Meeting Room Hire Revenue in Libraries, along with additional savings around
asset optimisation.
3. Economic opportunities - The hire of spaces for different types of local ev ents also
contributes to a thriving local economy using small businesses and other private sector
services for connected services required e.g. catering, audio -visual, entertainment.
This review could look at opportunities to link up such services and any potential for
sponsorship of venues.
4. Service innovation - Recent services reviews, e.g. Youth Strategy and Family Hubs
have also identified changes in use, co -location and innovation in spaces for the
delivery of services, which will be worth exploring.
5. Civic Centre Project - The wider transformation and co-location of services to the Civic
Centre also offers a range of opportunities with new spaces being created for use in
the new Library and Registrars facilities etc...
6. Regulatory aspects - With the h ire of any venue, and dependent on event type and
numbers, there will be varying degrees of regulatory requirements, e.g. risk
assessments, licensing permissions, health and safety and insurance. Looking at
clarifying and streamlining any such processes to improve the customer experience
should be investigated.
7. Corporate Landlord / Asset Management Review – the Council’s property team act
as the Corporate Landlord and the current position is where assets are operational,
they are notionally let to the departments to use. Additionally, the Property Team are
undertaking a strategic review of the Council’s assets and the optimisation of their use
for local services, so any duplication of (or benefit from) this should be factored.
8. Digital – a potential output of this review around online information/bookings ,
pending the review and ultimately Cabinet approval, may require input from the
Digital Team. Therefore, resourcing requirements and timescales will need to be
Page 4
considered in conjunction with them. It is imp ortant to note that a booking system
across the council’s assets is not currently within the planned work programme.
9. Filming – the approach being taken to commercialise and increasing filming income
could be explored for any good practice, interrelationships or benefits from this
review. This approach seeks to match sites and buildings the Council owns to specific
filming location requests and consider a range of requirements to meet a client brief,
e.g. a filming production company may wish to film at one of the Council’s sites as well
as a school and community hall, for example . A joined -up approach on
locations/assets for wider marketing will help join up the dots to promote our Borough
in this way.
Legislative context
The Local Government Act 1972 provides councils with the authority to manage and let their
properties. It includes provisions for leasing and renting council -owned spaces to businesses
and individuals.
3. EVIDENCE GATHERING
Core intelligence required
1. How many spaces indoor and outdoor can be identified?
2. Where are they, by address and Ward?
3. Parking and transport connections available
4. What facilities are available for each space?
5. What “condition” are they in?
6. In which directorate does each space sit?
7. Who is responsible for their management?
8. Lettings history / occupancy rate for last year
9. Any planned space improvements
10. Fees and Charges for spaces
Cabinet Members & Service relevant to this review
This review would fall fully under this Committee’s approved remit set out in the Constitution.
It would also cut across all Cabinet Member portfolios as the range of buildings and spaces
would cut across all Council Directorates and service areas. Howev er, the primary Cabinet
Members and immediate service areas in relation to the review are set out below:
Portfolio(s) Directorate Service Areas
Leader of the
Council
Corporate
Services
Communications & Engagement (e.g. marketing)
Cabinet Member for
Corporate Services
& Property
Place Property (maximising income from holdings)
Page 5
Facilities Management
Civic Centre, Property and built assets (cross-
cutting brief)
Cabinet Member for
Finance &
Transformation
Finance Income maximisation
Corporate
Services
Digital technologies
Discussions on draft or emerging recommendations may be undertaken with relevant Cabinet
Members as per the Protocol on Overview & Scrutiny and Cabinet Relations approved by full
Council.
Potential witnesses and site visits
Officers from:
Libraries and Cultural Services
Property and Estates Team (all assets)
Education (schools/adult education)
Facilities Management
Green Spaces
Children’s Services
Youth Services
Learning and Development
Corporate Communications
Digital Team
External witnesses / user testimony:
GLL leisure provider or Sports Contract Manager
Brunel University Events Team
Local Community Centre operator
Private sector event space operator, e.g. entertainment venue or hotel
Wedding Planner or similar local event organiser
Best practice local authority events / booking manager
Site visits:
Hillingdon Civic Centre rooms / Manor Farm
Brunel University
Other London Borough Events Services – good practice on indoor and outdoor events
with an App and Event Management Service.
Initial Papers / further reading
Council venues and spaces to hire - Discover Hillingdon
Theatre spaces to hire - Discover Hillingdon
Page 6
Meeting rooms and spaces to hire in our libraries - Hillingdon Council
Council GIS property browser – internal only
EventApp - Camden (example only)
Lines of Enquiry
Specific lines of enquiry will be worked up prior to witness sessions.
A possible gap analysis exercise could be suggested by the Committee in which services are
asked to complete surveys identifying spaces that are used in their service areas by various
stakeholders. areas that are being met. This information would then be analysed and areas of
improvement identified.
Members will be inte rested in identifying the number and types of spaces available for hire
within the Borough, including their addresses and wards. Members will note the facilities
available at each site and assess their conditions. Identifying the directorate responsible fo r
each site, the management structure and the letting history over the past three years will
enable Members to create a single point of useful information. Members will also wish to
explore opportunities for better marketing and commercialisation of these spaces. The
findings will provide valuable insights into the current state of these spaces, enabling the
Council to make informed decisions that benefit the community and generate additional
revenue.
Some early ideas to consider:
1. Business lettings for planned upgrades to rooms
2. Serviced business suites / conferences
3. Expanding online register / App / booking service
4. Event Management and Lettings Service (income generation is far greater than the
cost)
5. Targeted communications locally amongst residents, co mmunity groups and the
business sector.
6. Streamlined / online process for regulatory requirements for space hire
4. REVIEW PLANNER
Proposed timeframe & milestones for the review:
Meeting Date Action Purpose / theme Witnesses / officers
attending
11 February
2025
Agree Scoping Report What do we need? Democratic Services
April/May - Survey for data / informal meetings
17 June 2025 Witness Session 1
Discovery Phase :
Setting the scene
Where are we now?
Officers from core
council services, e.g.
Page 7
Property, Libraries and
Communications
23 July 2025
Witness Session 2
Discovery Phase :
identifying spaces,
uses and
opportunities
Where are we now? Officers from core
council services, e.g.
Property, Libraries and
Communication
17 September
2025
Witness Session 3 Where do we want to
be? What do residents,
customers, businesses
want?
External witnesses
Summer / Autumn 2025 - Site visits
19 November
2025
Witness Session 4 Identifying potential uses
and opportunities based
on feedback
Officers from other
service areas
6 January 2026
De-brief and emerging
findings
To discuss key findings
and identify potential
recommendations
12 February
2026
Approval of draft final
report
Proposals – agree
recommendations and
final draft report to
Cabinet
Resource requirements
This review is not expected to require a financial assessment at the scoping stage. However,
as the review progresses, Committees should seek to ensure any recommendations are
feasible, cost -effective or indeed can save the Council money. Any early findings or
recommendations by the Committee which may result in a call on Council budgets, or savings,
should be discussed at the earliest opportunity by the Chairman, with the relev ant Cabinet
Member and Leader of the Council, along with service areas, to assess viability.
The aim of this review is to generate additional income.
Equalities impact
This review will seek to strengthen the Council’s efforts ensuring equal access by residents to
council services. No Equalities Impact Assessment will be required.
Scrutiny Benefit
This review demonstrates that independent overview and scrutiny in Hillingdon is:
Page 8
1. Driving improvement and modernisation
2. Innovative with actionable outcomes
3. Supporting sound financial management
4. Aligned with local strategic and residents’ priorities
Author of Scoping Report Anisha Teji, Democratic Services
Mark Braddock, Statutory Scrutiny Officer
Date Created - 24 January 2025
Last updated - 4 June 2025
Text extracted automatically from the PDF, so layout, tables and images are not shown. Open the original PDF on LB Hillingdon’s website.