Commercial Real Estate Investment
Case reference FOI2026/01491
Received 29 June 2026
Published 24 July 2026
Request
I am researching local authority real estate investment across England.
I would be really grateful if you could ask your Estates Team/Commercial Property Team if they could possibly spare some time to answer the below questions:
1. How many properties are in your investment portfolio? Please split into retail, office, industrial, leisure, and other.
2. Please list any property investments and acquisitions in the last five years.
3. Can you please list the reasons the authority invested/acquired these properties?
4. Can you please confirm if there are any other reasons not mentioned above why your authority invests in or acquires commercial property?
5. What were the outcomes of your investments? (For example, did it lead to delivery of a regeneration scheme? Did it bring in income? Did investing lead to a budget deficit? Etc. Please note that this is not asking you to provide commercially sensitive information nor commentary, just list any outcomes).
6. What is the Council's process for identifying investment opportunities? I.e. Do you have an investment strategy?
7. What is the procedure followed by the council when an investment opportunity is identified and how do you manage risk?
8. How does your authority fund commercial property investment/acquisition? Please just list the financing methods used.
Response
I am researching local authority real estate investment across England.
I would be really grateful if you could ask your Estates Team/Commercial Property Team if they could possibly spare some time to answer the below questions:
1. How many properties are in your investment portfolio? Please split into retail, office, industrial, leisure, and other.
Answer: Please see the table below:
|
Industrial |
114 |
|
Leisure & Sport |
1 |
|
Office |
2 |
|
Retail Units & Markets |
9 |
2. Please list any property investments and acquisitions in the last five years.
Answer: None
3. Can you please list the reasons the authority invested/acquired these properties?
Answer: N/A
4. Can you please confirm if there are any other reasons not mentioned above why your authority invests in or acquires commercial property?
Answer: N/A
5. What were the outcomes of your investments? (For example, did it lead to delivery of a regeneration scheme? Did it bring in income? Did investing lead to a budget deficit? Etc. Please note that this is not asking you to provide commercially sensitive information nor commentary, just list any outcomes).
Answer: N/A
6. What is the Council's process for identifying investment opportunities? I.e. Do you have an investment strategy?
Answer: This information is publically available on our council website and can be viewed via the following link:
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
7. What is the procedure followed by the council when an investment opportunity is identified and how do you manage risk?
Answer: The Service Area have advised no investment property has been purchased in the last 5 years. The Council has strict governance for decision making. Acquisition of property would require relevant approvals in line with Council procedures.
8. How does your authority fund commercial property investment/acquisition? Please just list the financing methods used.
Answer: Herefordshire Council funds commercial properties through its capital programme, which is financed via prudential borrowing, capital receipts (funds from selling surplus assets), and external government grants.
The Council’s latest capital programme is publically available on our council website and can be viewed via the following link:
https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=291&MId=9731&Ver=4
Please see Item 46.
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.