Civic Place proposes a modern, finance-led development model to help councils deliver high-quality, purpose-built Temporary Accommodation (TA) on council-owned land without any upfront capital investment.
The model replaces expensive emergency solutions such as hotels, B&Bs and nightly-paid units. By developing sustainable, modern homes on under-used public land, councils can secure predictable long-term costs and significantly improve the standard of accommodation available to households in need.
A typical medium-sized council-owned site of around 0.31 ha / 0.77 acres can support approximately 40 new apartments, built to high environmental standards using modern construction methods, air-source heat pumps, PV panels, high insulation, and low-energy building design.
Following the granting of a 125 year lease, Civic Place and its delivery partners, Artelia, Pick Everard, GT3 and M&G, fund, design, construct and deliver the entire scheme.
Once completed, the council has the option to take a 40-year lease at a fixed, predictable cost. If the council exercises this FROR the at the end of the term, the entire asset returns to the council for the sum of £1.
The council is not obligated to enter into the lease if local priorities change, ensuring full flexibility. Under this structure, the council gains long-term access to high-quality TA homes while avoiding the financial risk, capital outlay and development complexity typically associated with housing delivery.
Financial modelling shows that a scheme of this size offers substantial long-term savings. Under current emergency TA arrangements, the projected 40-year cost is approximately £89.9 million. Under the proposed leaseback model, the total cost would be around £45.7 million, generating a £45.2 million saving over the same period.
The council would also receive 20% of any refinancing surplus at practical completion, providing an immediate financial return.
This model delivers:
In summary, this approach provides a modern, financially sustainable, and socially positive solution for meeting Temporary Accommodation needs — reducing costs, improving quality, and delivering long-term stability.