Please can you provide me with the total amount of money spent by TfL on furniture in the following years: 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2. Can you break down exactly what was bought with this money?

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TfL Ref 1170-2021

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 23 September 2020 asking for information about the total amount of money spent by TfL on furniture in 2016/17, 207/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked: Please can you provide me with the total amount of money spent by TfL on furniture in the following years:

2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20

2. Can you break down exactly what was bought with this money?

During recent years as part of our accommodation strategy, we have continued to rationalise our office estate and introduced further efficiency initiatives to drive down the annual operating costs of the portfolio, whilst also modernising the workspace. Our strategy has seen us consolidate into three main office hubs in Stratford, Southwark and North Greenwich allowing us to vacate and dispose of a number of buildings and significantly reduce our desk capacity in order to deliver long term savings.

Our accommodation strategy is supported by a smart working programme, which utilises workspaces more efficiently and will further reduce the demand for desks.  It will also make us a more attractive employer and improve work-life balance. Efficiency savings will also be achieved through smarter working and better technology. 

A significant proportion of the spend on office furniture has been necessary to facilitate the smart working programme to deliver the savings, for example, electronic lockers so that staff are able to store their work documents and files etc securely whilst sharing desk space.

The replies to your questions are below:

1.         Please can you provide me with the total amount of money spent by TfL on furniture in the following years:

2016/17 - £806,223

2017/18 - £6,617,479

2018/19 - £2,642,494

2019/20 - £2,702,742

2.         Can you break down exactly what was bought with this money?

As we buy a very wide range of furniture type items which is extensive, the majority of the spend constitutes the following items:

Head Office

•           control room desks, swipe access lockers, 24/7 control room chairs, height adjustable desks, task chairs, meeting room furniture, office storage, social space/breakout furniture, canteen furniture, conference suite furniture, stand-alone meeting pods, coat racks, reception furniture.

Operational

•           24/7 control room chairs, task chairs, ticket office high stools, metal key operated lockers, desks, mess room furniture, office storage, meeting room furniture, breakout furniture

These are one off purchases to support the Smart Working programme across TfL. The task chairs were part of a replacement programme as the previous task chairs were over 10 years old.

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Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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