Communities in control: taking asset transfer forward

Charles WooddCommunity Empowerment Delivery Division

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Key milestones

• Quirk Review published May 2007

• Government implementation plan also May 2007

• Advancing Assets for Communities demonstration programme extended November 2007

• Quirk Review team take stock May/June 2008

• Empowerment White Paper published July 2008

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Raising awareness Disseminating learning

Achieved:• Nine regional seminars 2007/8• Input to 30+ other conferences, events

Already committed:• Advancing Assets – further seminar programme

2008/10

White Paper:• Asset Transfer Unit (ATU) – building on

Advancing Assets programme. Brief to promote, advise, campaign

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Demonstrating how it’s done

Achieved:• Support for 20 demonstration areas in 2007/8 –

strategy, pilot projects, lessons learned

Already committed:• 60 further areas in 2008/10

White Paper:• 30 further areas in 2010/11• Programme to be taken forward by Asset

Transfer Unit

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Information, advice and capacity building (1)

Achieved:• Published guide to Managing Risks (July 08)

Already committed:• Local authority asset management – new

guidance due summer 08• Good practice tools from Advancing Assets

programme, in development• Short-term review of sources of capacity

building support, to promote greater accessibility

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Information, advice and capacity building (2)

White Paper:• Asset Transfer Unit – expanded source of advice• Communitybuilders Fund – includes 30%

revenue budget to support development work• CLG with Audit Commission, LGA, Treasury,

ATU to explore benefits and barriers for collaborative approaches to strategic asset management across public and third sectors

• Consult on national framework for Community Land Trusts

• Encourage local authorities to make information on their assets more publicly accessible

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Resources

Achieved:• OTS Community Assets Fund - £30m, 38 in-

principle capital awards made April 2008

Already committed:• DCSF myplace - £220m capital for youth facilities

in 2008/11

White Paper:• CLG Communitybuilders Fund - £70m (£49m

capital, £21m revenue) to support community anchors in 2008/11

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Strengthening bottom up pressure

• Already committed:• Promote PROD power, with Councillor Call for

Action (CCfA) once commenced• Use of resources assessment in Comprehensive

Area Assessment (CAA)

White Paper:• Guidance on CCfA to be issued with LGA later in

2008• New duty on local authorities to respond to

petitions (Empowerment Bill)• Petitions could also trigger full council debate

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Key principles

• Persuasion better than imposition for changing behaviour

• Progress depends on cross-sector partnership working both locally and nationally

• An investment approach, with appropriate capacity building support, is crucial to successful development

• Asset transfer is long-term and complex – there are no quick fixes!

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Contact

Communities and Local GovernmentCharles WooddCharles.woodd@communities.gsi.gov.uk