Avison Young announced as Liverpool City Council's Strategic Property Partner

Liverpool City Council has selected global real estate firm Avison Young as its Strategic Property Partner to propel the development of its city-wide property portfolio.

With a longstanding presence in the Liverpool City Region, Avison Young brings extensive strategic insight and market-driven expertise to the table, merging local familiarity with a global perspective to generate tangible economic, social, and environmental benefits.

This appointment arrives ahead of UKREiiF, the UK’s premier real estate and property event, underscoring the council’s commitment to advancing its property initiatives.

Avison Young will play a pivotal role in supporting the council’s ambitious plans for further investment and enhancements in its buildings and spaces. Over the next three years, the partnership aims to collaboratively shape plans and inform policy, fostering sustainable growth and development across the region.

Avison Young has already been managing the council-owned Spine building in Paddington Village, in the city’s Knowledge Quarter, since January, and will now be looking at how best to improve commercial return from its property portfolio, such as the Grade I listed Cunard building to Croxteth Country Hall.

The appointment follows the recent announcement that Liverpool City Council’s commissioner-led intervention will end in June 2024, with Government Commissioners confirming to the Secretary of State that the Council is a “well-governed, improving organisation, with ambitious leaders committed to long-term change.”

The Council’s Cabinet has also approved the introduction of a Property Improvement Plan, a significant milestone which will enable the Council to accelerate its regeneration priorities, drive place-based investment, support the economy and local businesses, and promote better outcomes for communities.

As a trusted advisor firmly embedded in Liverpool’s culture and economy, Avison Young will support the Council to implement the Property Improvement Plan and to advocate for its long-term success.

The remit of Avison Young’s work will include co-designing the development of a strategic approach to the management of the Council’s property assets, the design and roll out of a new Corporate Landlord model and to provide real estate advice on the Council’s workplace strategy.

The firm will also provide senior experienced resources to augment the Council’s existing staff to support on valuation and property management activities.

This external appointment will contribute to improved data quality to enable effective decision-making, increased efficiencies in terms of the use of the Council’s buildings and spaces and strengthen the resilience of its property management team.

Liverpool Skyline. Credit: Liverpool City Council

Councillor Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy at Liverpool City Council, said:

“The appointment of Avison Young is great step forward in how the City Council delivers best value on the management of its properties, now and into the future.

“Avison Young is a team with exceptional knowledge of Liverpool, its people, its communities and its strengths, paired with national expertise and an international outlook, will help us to develop and deliver plans that unlock an ambitious and exciting future for the city at this critical juncture.

“This partnership, which will see the implementation of the new Property Improvement Plan, will better enable us to deliver for communities, strengthen our proposition as a city, and collaborate with partners to drive forward improvements to enable growth.

“We look forward to working in partnership with Avison Young, engaging collaboratively in stakeholder engagement to shape planning and policy that drives forward positive change at pace.”

Stephen Cowperthwaite, Regional Managing Director for Liverpool and Managing Director of UK Regions at Avison Young UK, said:

“This nationally significant appointment reflects the quality and depth of Avison Young’s knowledge across our regional and national teams.

“This, coupled with the ambition of the leadership and Council teams, will create a step change in realising the opportunities for long-term sustainable and inclusive growth that benefits communities and attracts investment.

“Our team are experts in their fields, with experience working on many of the city’s flagship regeneration projects.

“We know the importance of local authorities delivering for their communities, and we’re well placed to support the strategic objectives of the Council going forward, building a modernised, fit-for-purpose property portfolio to bring the city’s ambitions into the future.”