Sheffield Council has nowhere near enough money to fix all its buildings

Members of the council’s Strategy and Resources Policy Committee will tomorrow (January 24) hear that the authority’s estate consists of around 807 establishments and 873 buildings, as well as land, assets, and monuments – however, it does not include council housing and schools.

Data shows that around £200m is required to address building condition needs, while £48m is needed to sort the most pressing condition issues.

However, in the report, the authors said that The Essential Compliance and Maintenance Programme has a budget of around £8m up to March 2028 for urgent condition and compliance items.

The report added: “This lack of adequate maintenance leads to further deterioration of the estate’s infrastructure and facilities, potentially impacting the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

“The limited budget has been used to support compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and urgent repairs, and as a result, the general condition of the estate has deteriorated.”

It is also in the report that one of the solutions to mitigate the problem could be to reconsider the size of the council’s estate – effectively selling buildings – as Covid changed the way the council and members of the community use the buildings, such as working from home.

“With the rise of hybrid working and the development of online systems, the usage of many Council buildings has significantly reduced,” the report added.

At a Finance Sub-Committee meeting in November 2022, members approved a series of recommendations to support the resetting of the council’s asset strategy via a Strategic Accommodation review to reflect new norms, including a 25 per cent reduction in the size of the estate, “which may need to go further depending on the results of more detailed work”.

The council’s Strategy and Resources Policy Committee meeting starts at 2pm tomorrow (January 24) at the town hall.