New Asset Transfer Funding Arrives!

February 17, 2015

The boost to the Community Rights programme will give even more people greater control and influence over what happens locally.

Up and down the country, communities are taking action – from regulars running their local pub and protecting other treasured assets to ambitious plans for new development, new jobs and better targeted services.

This new funding will mean:

• likeminded communities will be able to network and learn from each other through the new My Community Network
• communities will have access to tailored advice through a phone and online advice service to help them use the range of community rights and other neighbourhood approaches
• 100 more neighbourhoods will be supported to use the Our Place approach, enabling  councils and other public sector providers, voluntary and community groups, local businesses and the community  to work together to tackle important local issues from job creation to health priorities
• 100 communities will receive support to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and develop Community Action Plans
• 50 communities will receive support to develop economic plans to address local economic priorities like job creation and enterprise
• 50 local authority/community partnerships will receive advice, support and grants to support the transfer of multiple or complex publicly owned assets into community ownership

Stephen Williams also announced today the awarding of 6 new contracts to support communities in using the Community Rights in 2015 to 2016.

These contracts have been awarded to Locality, Co-operatives UK and The Community Development Foundation (CDF).

These 6 new contracts are:

• advice service and network – Locality and the Community Development Foundation with the Local Government Association, National Association of Local Councils, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action and Anthony Collins Solicitors
• community economic development – Co-operatives UK with New Economics Foundation, Community Development Foundation, The Community Development Finance Association and Locality
• community ownership and management of assets – Locality with a wide range of delivery partners including The Local Government Association, National Association of Local Councils, Community Matters, Plunkett Foundation, Civic Voice, Ubele and Voice 4 Change
• grant administration – Groundwork
• neighbourhood planning and community Right to Build – Locality with URS-AECOM, a leading planning consultancy, and a number of other specialist sub-contractors including Design Council/CABE, the Royal Town Planning Institute and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
• first steps and our place – Locality with a wide range of delivery partners including The Community Development Foundation, The Local Government Association and The National Association of Local Councils

The delivery partners also include Civic Voice, Ubele and Voice 4 Change and will help the Our Place programme reach into harder to reach communities.