Community Asset Transfer

The council defines a community asset as a building in the freehold ownership of the council that has a community use and from which a community-based activity or service is delivered.

Asset transfer means moving the responsibility for management and running of assets from the council to a civil society sector organisation. This also has the potential of achieving a range of key objectives from promoting civic renewal, community cohesion, active citizenship and improving local public services to tackling poverty and promoting economic regeneration.

Asset strategy

Our policy is based on our commitment to community empowerment and supports the development and sustainability of a thriving community and voluntary sector.

This strategy sets out the principles and process we will use to manage applications for the transfer of community based buildings.

The community asset transfer strategy aims to:

• encourage and support the retention of local facilities which are used for a variety of social, community and public purposes without the use of council funds in the future – on the basis that we are satisfied that the business case for such a transfer is financially viable and sustainable in the long term
• increase the effectiveness and efficiency of council owned community assets through local management
• maintain local public facilities through community management
• explore innovative ways of enhancing existing community facilities, for example by transferring multiple assets to one provider who can then deliver benefits linked to economies of scale
• support the development of social enterprises that clearly demonstrate the returns to the local community.