Looking back over 2017, our national news was dominated by our sputtering Brexit negotiations and the latest antics of Donald Trump's presidency. The mounting difficulties across areas of UK local government finances rarely got a look in. But whenever they did, the focus was often on concerns over councils' increasing investment in commercial properties for investment return.

That this is happening is no great surprise, nor is it in itself grounds for concern. Councils have already absorbed years of austerity cuts and are facing increasing cost pressures to deliver services. Couple this with the concerted push for more fiscal self-sufficiency, particularly for English councils – the Government's move towards 100% business rates retention and allowing councils to add an additional 1% to council tax – and with local leaders' desire to help shape communities, then seeking new revenue streams seems both obvious and necessary.