operated by:

Co-operative and Community Finance
Plunkett
SEEE

financed by:

East of England Development Agency

Reports

Community assets Report Free download

The report explores the benefits and lessons of community-based organisations taking control, either as managers or owners, of: assets such as buildings and other facilities that provide a focus for the local economy and community activities.

The author, Stephen Thake, looks at a range of community-based organisations, strategies for sustainability and a variety of models for the management and ownership of physical assets. Case studies are drawn from England and Wales and the benefits are analysed from the point of view of the community, stakeholders and the organisations themselves. The Community Assets report was commissioned by the Civil Renewal Unit through the Development Trusts Association.

The Quirk Review Free download

An independent review, which looked at Community Management and Ownership of Assets, led by Barry Quirk, Lewisham Council's Chief Executive Officer. The Review looks at the barriers which may be standing in the way of more communities managing and owning assets and recommends ways we can create an environment to encourage more community management and ownership of assets. The report is published on behalf of the Review Team by the Department for Communities and Local Government

The Varney Review recommends that government move away from a departmental approach to service delivery where citizens have to join up services locally. This could also be applied to community assets where we currently make often under resourced community group's contact several public bodies before they can identify who a building that they are interested in belongs to. In his recommendations Varney says that a cross-departmental Estates Management Strategy should be agreed by April 2008. The LGA urges the Review to include the transfer and management of assets to community groups in this strategy. This represents an excellent opportunity to coordinate this agenda across all departments and local government.

The development of Buildings and Land for community use is a rocky road. Below are some thinking points interested parties may wish to consider from the outset.