1. building communities… a quick overview for getting your hands on a community asset Diana Moore SW Regional Development Manager Development Trusts Association

2. getting your hands on an asset 2 Stop now! Consider your purpose - what do you need an asset for? How will you use it to help you achieve your goal AND earn you an income? Make your project…. viable not liable!

3. getting your hands on an asset 3 Ways and means…meanwhile use...  Generating creativity and enterprise from empty spaces and places, the Meanwhile Project works with landlords, agents, potential occupiers and local authorities to enable uses that benefit the community while something else is waiting to happen.

4. getting your hands on an asset 4 Is there another way? transfer it! ► Asset transfer: transfer of freehold by sale (at or less than market value) or by leasehold under-utilised public property to benefit the community ► Quirk review “optimising the use of public assets is not the primary objective: the over- riding goal is community empowerment”.

5. getting your hands on an asset 5 Really? How? 1. Check our the asset transfer unit’s website www.atu.org.uk 2. speak to your local authority about the property and your project - practical and policy issues 3. Have a robust plan for your work and the building!

6. getting your hands on an asset 6 Why are they doing this?  Policy Impetus  Declining asset stock & ever-diminishing maintenance budget  Local Need / Ambition / Creativity  Community Asset Transfer – how-to )

7. getting your hands on an asset 7 But we don’t want to own it… ► Town & Village Greens: There are about 3650 registered greens in England and about 220 in Wales covering about 8150 and 620 acres (33 and 2.5 km²) respectively. (Open spaces society) ► Common land: opportunity to re-register it under Commons Act 2006.

8. getting your hands on an asset 8 The future… community right to buy? ► “24 November 2009: In a party political broadcast last week David Cameron, Conservative party leader, promised to introduce a “community right to buy” to help community organisations take over and run assets in their community - saying communities should have “the first right of refusal” to acquire buildings from the public and private sector to be run for the community on a not for profit basis”.

9. getting your hands on an asset 9 Where to go for info, tools and more... www.dta.org.uk http://www.dta.org.uk/activities/campaigns/ communityassets/housing/housingguide www.atu.org.uk http://www.buildingcommunity.org.uk/ www.meanwhile.org.uk & http://meanwhilespace.ning.com http://www.oss.org.uk/village-greens/