Recommendation 2

The Department has allowed the Weybridge site to deteriorate to a completely unacceptable degree, through a combination of inadequate management and under investment. The Department has not managed the Weybridge site as an important national asset. It has not had a long-term strategic plan for the site and has under invested in its infrastructure. The Department managed the Weybridge site simply as a property asset, not recognising the importance of the science undertaken at the site. For example, the Department consolidated its facilities management contracts in 2009 to cover a large part of its estate including Weybridge, but the contract was not suited to the specific requirements of a high containment science site such as Weybridge. Historically, the Department has not invested enough staff resources in managing the site and to understand the site’s requirements. Despite recognising the deteriorating condition of the Weybridge site in 2015, the Department has taken a considerable time to get a redevelopment programme up and running. Recommendation: The Department and HM Treasury must learn lessons from Weybridge and ensure that the situation is not repeated with the Department’s other key infrastructure or more widely across the UK’s important national infrastructure. The Department’s Treasury Minute response must include details of how it is implementing an asset management strategy for the Weybridge site and how it is implementing lessons learned in developing its new facilities management contract. 6 Redevelopment of Defra’s animal health infrastructure