Community buildings and land acquisition plans drawn up
Guidelines which will help the Council put control of buildings and land into the hands of local communities have been drawn up.
Plymouth is setting out how its co-operative values can be spread throughout the community by encouraging groups or organisations to acquire Council-owned buildings under a community asset transfer. Enabling local people and community groups to have greater control of their lives and their own neighbourhoods is fundamental to the ethos of a co-operative council.
And if groups want to own or manage community buildings and land, such as community centres, rugby pitches, allotments or changing rooms for example, the Council has set out criteria to help make it happen.
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Co-operative and Community said: “We want people to do it themselves, to take ownership and gain confidence in their ability to shape events in their neighbourhood and this city.
“But there needs to be guidelines so that it is crystal clear what we can and cannot do with our buildings which have been bought and paid for by Plymouth’s council tax payers.”
As well was devolving power to neighbourhoods or local organisations, the transfer of property could act as a catalyst for social, environmental and economic regeneration and get people involved in shaping and regenerating their communities.
Any transfer would need a long-term partnership between the Council and the organisation, and interested organisations must be community-led, with strong links with the local community and clear objectives which would be improved and delivered through the asset.
The guidelines also set out the need for groups to be properly constituted as well as show it has the skills to deliver services and manage the asset and run it without financial support from the Council.
Councillor Penberthy added: “We’ve tried to keep the guidelines as simple as possible so that groups and organisations will be able to read through it to see if they have what it takes to get the ball rolling. It is new territory for all of us – but it is exciting stuff.”
The guidelines, which will be discusssed at Cabinet on 21 May, also spell out what the Council will consider in terms of lease arrangements, aspects the detailed business case groups would need to consider as well as time-scales and expected processes.
