- Cabinet approves new Strategic Asset Management Plan, outlining approach to the borough’s heritage, leisure, community and commercial buildings
- Income generated through property sales to be invested in the borough’s heritage, leisure and community buildings
- Five organisations renting council-owned premises have already expressed an interest in purchasing the sites they occupy – legal discussions are now under way
Tamworth Borough Council has approved a new approach to managing its buildings and land, putting the focus firmly on protecting and investing in the heritage, leisure and community assets that matter most to local people.
Cabinet agreed the Strategic Asset Management Plan on 30 April 2026, following an independent review carried out by property consultants Arcadis. The plan sets a clear direction for how the council will manage its portfolio of around 200 properties.
The review found that, like many councils of a similar size, the current repairs budget covers essential fixes and health and safety work. To go further, to invest proactively and ambitiously in Tamworth’s most important buildings, a new source of capital is needed.
To address this, cabinet has agreed, in principle, to sell a small number of properties over time, where selling would generate more financial value than retaining them. The money raised will be reinvested into the borough’s heritage, leisure and community buildings, tackling maintenance backlogs and putting those assets on a more sustainable long-term footing.
Five commercial and community organisations that currently rent premises from the council have already expressed an interest in purchasing the sites they occupy. Legal discussions are now under way. The council will be in a position to share further details once those conversations have concluded and each party has confirmed they wish to proceed.
“This plan is about making clear, long-term decisions for Tamworth,” said Councillor Nova Arkney, portfolio holder for infrastructure and local economy. “The best way for community groups or commercial tenants to secure additional grant funding to make improvements to their premises and invest in them for the long term, is to own them.
“We’ve looked hard at every building and piece of land we own and asked a straightforward question: where can we generate the most value for Tamworth? For some properties, the answer is to sell and reinvest the proceeds. For others the answer is to protect and invest in them for the long term.
“The money from any sales will go directly into the buildings and spaces our communities rely on every day. This is about making smarter choices so that we can do more for the borough.”
The council’s town centre retail holdings, including properties connected to Ankerside, are not affected by this programme. Those properties will be retained while a comprehensive regeneration plan for the town centre is developed, ensuring the council can support that work and benefit from any future growth in value.
Any sale of council property must comply with legal requirements set out in the Local Government Act 1972, including independent formal valuations. Each disposal will go through the council’s full governance process, with individual business cases presented to cabinet for approval before any sale proceeds.
Notes:
The Asset Management Update report considered by cabinet on 30 April 2026 is available at www.tamworth.gov.uk/cabinet. The Strategic Asset Management Plan was developed by Arcadis between June and September 2025.
The council’s corporate asset portfolio contains approximately 200 operational, commercial, heritage and surplus assets with an estimated value of £29.27m.
Updated condition surveys will be commissioned as part of the plan, at an estimated cost of £50,000, for which budget has been set aside in 2026/27.
Expressions of interest to purchase have been received from five organisations. Further details on individual transactions will be made public once legal discussions are concluded and each party has confirmed they wish to proceed with a purchase.