Government property finder tool launched in bid to increase use of ‘Right to Contest’

The Cabinet Office has launched a new tool that maps government property and land, which it hopes will help people and organisations decide whether to challenge its use under the ‘Right to Contest’.

Where a challenge is submitted under the ‘Right to Contest’, which was launched in January this year, and the Government cannot justify the land or property’s use, then the land in question will be released.

“Historic assets like Downing Street or the Treasury building won’t be sold off, but this online tool will mean that the many government properties across the country can be put to the best possible use,” the Cabinet Office claimed.

The ‘Right to Contest’ guidance says that anyone – including businesses, local authorities or members of the public – can issue a challenge.

This is as long as they believe that all the following apply:

• Where the land is owned by a central government department or one of their arms’ length bodies, the site: is potentially surplus or redundant; could be put to better economic use, "eg for housing or to help businesses develop or expand". The right can be used to challenge central government sites which are in use, as long as the challenger thinks that operations could be moved to a different location.
• Where land is owned by a local authority or certain other public bodies: the site is empty or under-used; there are no plans to bring it back into use.

Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “As part of our long-term plan for a stronger economy we are slashing our own costs and getting the most out the property we own. Since the 2010 general election we have got out of 1,250 properties, but we need to do more.

“We want the public to use this new map and the Right to Contest to challenge us to release properties we are not using efficiently enough to cut the deficit, support growth and provide more houses.”