Strategic management of local authority property in the UK: A case for positivism in island communities

As indicated in UK Government reports and previous research, strategic management of local authority property has been a long-term goal within the United Kingdom. However, most of the available literature has taken a negative stance on the issues involved in strategic property management, encouraging local authorities to divest their non-core property holdings. Rural and isolated communities display characteristics that warrant a different approach to the management of their property assets, in that property in these communities is used to support and develop local industry and the wider community. This paper reviews and considers the available literature and identifies a need for 'positivism' with regard to the treatment of property assets by local authorities, with particular reference to an island community i.e. the Orkney Islands. The paper also proposes further research to be undertaken into how property provided by Orkney Islands Council should be seen positively as an 'enabler' within fragile island communities.