Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report of the Head of Strategic Property Services, regarding proposals for a revised Community Asset Transfer Policy.

Cllr Toby Sturgis, Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control, introduced the item and summarised the recommendations made. He drew Members’ attention to the following points:

·         That the original Community Asset Transfer policy had been approved by Cabinet in 2009;

·         This policy has been progressively less fit for purpose in light of the Council’s priorities and problems encountered in respect of some prospective transfers;

·         That a review of the original policy was ordered by the Cabinet Capital Assets Committee at their meeting on 10 January 2011; and

·         That the report represents the outcome of the review process and a solution to address the issues encountered with asset transfer to date.

The Cabinet Member circulated an accompanying flow chart diagram indicating the progression of a typical asset transfer request under the proposed new policy, as request by the Organisation and Resources Select Committee in their examination of this issue.

Cllr Jeff Osborn, Chairman of the Organisation and Resources Select Committee, expressed his views in respect of the proposals as follows:

·         That the flow chart is welcomed and provides greater clarity on the process;

·         That a key challenge is the degree of realism of community groups’ proposals, although well-intentioned, when transfers can be subject to complicated and expensive legal issues that may gradually emerge; and

·         That the policy should enable the successful transfer of assets wherever practicable, and that officers should make reliable advice available to interested parties at the soonest opportunity, especially in light of the above point.

Cllrs Stuart Wheeler, Fleur de Rhe-Philipe and John Noeken expressed their support for the proposed new policy and emphasised their appreciation of the inevitability of occasional legal issues, as above. It was agreed that the availability of early advice would be pivotal in the successful implementation and application of the policy.

It was,

Resolved:

1.     That the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee approves the approach to the transfer of community assets as detailed in the report.

2.     That the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee approves that decisions related to Category 2 and Category 3 applications under the policy are delegated to Area Boards;

3.     That a plan for communication of this decision be developed in conjunction with Democratic Services, Area Board Team and Communications, together with the development of an improved guidance document to support all parties involved in the process.