FM Leaders Spotlight Significant Challenges from Upcoming Council Devolution

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• FM Leaders Spotlight Significant Challenges from Upcoming Council Devolution

08 September 2025

What are the main FM challenges and risks involved with non-compliant maintenance of council estates? Davy Clark, Implementation Consultant at SFG20, explores the topic.

Davy Clark is an experienced Implementation Consultant at SFG20, specialising in the Facilities iQ platform. With a focus on improving the accuracy, compliance, and effectiveness of asset management and planned maintenance strategies, Davy works closely with facilities managers to optimise operations.

 

The Importance of Strict Compliance and Safety in Building Management

 

The UK government is set to reorganise a number of local government structures, replacing two-tier systems with single-tier unitary authorities. The plan aims to streamline operations and reduce duplication, but the merging may come with a new set of challenges, particularly for facilities management professionals, who are responsible for safe and compliant maintenance of estates.

Councils are grappling with ageing infrastructure, limited budgets, rising legislative demands, staffing shortages, and the complexities of devolution. These pressures risk a strain on resources, making it increasingly difficult to maintain safe, compliant, and efficient estates while balancing immediate operational needs with long-term planning.

 

 The Top 5 FM Challenges Arising from Council Devolution

 

1. Varying Standards and Practices

 

Merging teams from different councils involves bringing together different working cultures, historic practices, and management styles, risking potential friction and resistance to new ways of working. Councils may adopt different approaches to maintenance priorities, compliance, procurement, and risk tolerance, creating inconsistencies and complicating benchmarking. This may even lead to variable service quality and increased compliance risk, especially in multi-site or regional portfolios.

 

2. Skills Shortages and Capacity Challenges

 

As responsibilities expand under devolution, many councils face skills gaps and capacity constraints, inheriting new duties without the relative boost in resources or FM expertise. 

Smaller, under-resourced teams are particularly impacted, struggling with strategic decision-making, contractor management, and compliance, often with limited tools and support. A recent study from SFG20 revealed that 80 per cent of FM professionals say their teams are understaffed, with 24% reporting significant understaffing*. The difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled FM professionals at a local level may further complicate the challenge. 

 

3. Managing Complex Asset Portfolios

 

A significant challenge for devolved councils is managing complex, ageing asset portfolios, including schools, libraries, and social housing. These assets frequently require significant capital investment or remedial work, but budgets are typically constrained. FM teams must balance reactive maintenance, planned preventative regimes, and capital investment planning with limited funding.

 

4. Procurement and Supply Chain Issues

 

The increased autonomy that comes with devolution risks complexities in procurement and supply chain management. While councils now have more freedom in procurement, this autonomy often comes without the benefit of centralised frameworks or economies of scale. 

As a result, councils are likely to duplicate procurement efforts, risking higher costs, and inconsistencies with suppliers. This fragmentation of procurement practices complicates efforts to ensure service quality, regulatory compliance, and the delivery of social value. 

 

5. Lack of Asset-Level Visibility in Data Management

 

Finally, the shift towards centralising property data across increasingly complex estates has raised concerns about the loss of asset-level visibility. As councils aggregate data to manage large portfolios more efficiently, there may be a sacrifice in detail. 

Outdated, incomplete, or lost asset data, such as maintenance history or regulatory status, causes operational friction during building handovers, service transitions, or ownership changes. This lack of visibility forces FM teams into reactive decisions, hindering strategic planning and leading to delays, duplication, and increased compliance risks.

Picture: a photograph showing a block of flats with balconies. Image Credit: SFG20

Article written by Davy Clark | Published 08 September 2025

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