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<p>Since May 2010 the Department for Education has reduced the size of its estate
from 30 properties, at a cost of circa £51 million per annum, to 11 properties costing
circa £34 million per annum. This is a saving of circa £17 million per annum. The
Department is planning to further reduce the size of the estate to 6 properties. This
will achieve further annual savings to the Department of circa £2.5 million. The Department
also plans to vacate Sanctuary Buildings at lease expiry in 2017.</p><p> </p><p>The
Department for Education, including the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support
Service (Cafcass), has the following vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS property
database.</p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Number of properties</p></td><td><p>Business
Rates 13-14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Department for Education</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>£79,010.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Children
and Family Court Advisory and Support Service</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>£9,222.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>The Department for Education properties are legacy Training and Enterprise
Council (TEC) properties which became the Department's responsibility following the
closure of the TEC in the early 2000s. The Department had successfully sub-let a number
of facilities, although over the last three years some of the sub-tenants have operated
lease break options and the properties are again vacant.</p><p> </p><p>These properties
are advertised on the Government Property Unit's e-PIMS property database for use
by other Government Departments and we are also marketing these facilities to the
private sector, via letting agents, to secure new sub-tenants in order to mitigate
costs, including business rates. The Department has offered all vacant properties
listed above to the Government business incubator initiative and for free schools.</p><p>
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