Opportunities for Our Communities: Empowering Communities

Friday 20th May, 9.30am – 2.30pm Johnstone Town Hall

Housekeeping

• Fire Alarms and exits

• Mobile phones

• Social Media

• #renf2023

• Toilets

• Stakeholder engagement

Welcome Councillor Iain McMillan

Renfrewshire Council

@renf2023

Erskine Music and Media

Ali Whitty

Community Ownership Support Service

Drew MacEoghainn

Other examples

New Opportunities in Land and Buildings

Drew MacEoghainn

Community Ownership Support Service (COSS)

• COSS is part of the Development Trusts Association for Scotland (DTAS)

• COSS is a Scottish government funded programme, adviser led across 32 LA areas, set up to :

• help community-based groups take ownership of assets for community benefit .

• support local authorities and other agencies to transfer assets in to community ownership

Services COSS Provides: Viability not Liability

Snippets of Success Using the Route Map Learning Journeys Alternative fundraising (Beyond the Usual Suspects) Using the arts as an income stream (Profiting from Creativity) How to involve your community Assess groups who have applied for stage 1 Scottish Land Fund funding Community Empowerment Act and Asset Transfer.

Community Ownership in Scotland

• 480,000* acres of land in community ownership (2.5% of Scotland)

• 75,891 assets (2,740 community assets) • 2,718 organisations • Estimated value of £1.45 billion (£.65 billion) • Most common uses: housing, community

halls/centres, amenity space (e.g. parks), business lets, cafes/restaurants, educational, grocery shops, heritage, renewable energy, sports and fitness

• Two thirds in remote rural. Source: Community Ownership in Scotland: a baseline study, DTAS, 2012 * Scottish Government – 1M Acre Target 2015 by 2020

But what do they do? Provide childcare, make benches, manage office space, teach ICT, support small businesses, cook healthy food, recycle paper, support other community organisations, employ people with special needs, manage community centres, run cinemas, build, sell and rent out houses, undertake youth work, repair and sell bicycles, provide home help schemes for older people, run community transport schemes, lobby Councils for improvements on behalf of local people, undertake consultancy work, run schools for excluded young people, manage parks and play areas, own restaurants and cafes and pizzerias, have festivals & fun days & Dickensian Christmas Fairs, run credit unions, support neighbourhood management and other local initiatives, prisoner of war camps and Scottish government nuclear bunker development, set up social enterprises, homework clubs, DJ Workshops, run community energy projects, five a side football, manage Healthy Living Centres, support local artists, swimming pools and gyms, provide wedding and conference facilities, create web-sites, regenerate market town centres, prisoner of war camps and Scottish government nuclear bunker development, teach basic skills English and Maths, run bed and breakfasts, lend money, employ local people, run play schemes, sports days, teach construction skills, manage sports facilities, provide a refuge for women, publish community newsletters, teach catering skills, support community radio, make soap and bath stuff, run community arts projects, manage renewable energy schemes, build green and affordable homes, manage grant funding, manage local markets and market halls, run community cohesion projects, manage street ranger schemes, install CCTV, own and manage shops, leisure centres, benefit advice and debt counselling, promote tourism, manage heritage sites, skills training, undertake social audits, own and run pubs and bars, build and manage a BMX track, run Archaeology survey companies, provide sets for film and television productions, manage allotments, make chocolate (and sell it to Selfridges!), build boats, run Tourist Information Centres, sheltered and special need housing, own abattoirs, provide ferry services, own cinemas and theatres and museums, event management, own a security company, run a taxi service, grow and sell food, support people to find work, own and manage harbours, deliver high speed broadband, smokehouses, airports, doulas… etc etc

Community Empowerment Act

Current position of Act

Bill became enacted in July 24th 2015 BUT!

• The different parts of the Act will come into force at different times

• In most cases secondary legislation (orders and regulations) and guidance need to be developed before the legislation can come into effect

• This will be done through a process of engagement and co-production with people affected by the legislation

• It is expected that most parts of the Act to come into effect by summer 2016.

Eleven Parts to the Act: 1-4

• Part 1: National Outcomes - provides a statutory basis for the use of “National Outcomes”.

• Part 2: Community Planning – including Local Outcomes Improvement Plans and Locality Plans

• Part 3: Participation Requests - allows community bodies to become involved in delivery of public services.

• Part 4: Community Right to Buy - makes a range of changes to the community right to buy land, amending the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 including extending to urban areas.

Eleven Parts to the Act: 5-8

• Part 5: Asset Transfer Requests - provides for community bodies to take on assets from the public sector.

• Part 6: Delegation of Forestry Commission Functions - allows for different types of community body to be involved in forestry leasing.

• Part 7: Football Clubs – facilitates Supporter Involvement and ownership

• Part 8 : Common Good - makes a number of reforms to the system of common good.

Eleven Parts to the Act: 9-11

• Part 9: Allotments – updates and simplifies legislation

• Part 10: Participation in Public Decision Making – promotes and facilitates public participation in Public Sector decisions.

• Part 11:.Business Rates - allows local authorities to set their own reliefs for business rates.

Part 5: Asset Transfer Requests Defines:

•What assets can be requested?

•To whom a request can be made?

• Who can make a request?

•What legal structures does a group need to have to make a request ?

•What does an asset transfer request look like?

•What does an asset transfer agreement look like?

•What would/should a LA have in place to deal with requests?.

Part 5: Asset Transfer Requests What assets:

• Community bodies have the right to request to;

• Purchase,

• Lease,

• Manage

• Use

land and buildings belonging to local

authorities and other Scottish public bodies

• The assets do not have to be on a “surplus to requirements” list

Part 5: Asset Transfer Requests

Who can make a request:

• A “community-transfer body”

Within which there are two distinctions:

•what is required to apply for management/lease

•And

•what is required for a full transfer of title.

Lease/Management Agreement: • Community-Controlled Body which means a body (whether

corporate or unincorporated) which has a written constitution that includes the following—

(a) a definition of the community to which the body relates,

(b) provision that the majority of the members of the body consists of members of that community,

(c) provision that the members of the body have control of the body,

(d) provision that membership of the body is open to any member of that community,

(e) a statement of the body’s aims and purposes, including the promotion of a benefit for that community, and

(f) provision that any surplus funds or assets of the body are to be applied for the benefit of that community.

Full Title Transfer: There are additional requirements for full transfer.

The community body must be:

• A limited company with a Dissolution Clause

(i) to another community transfer body

(ii) to a charity.

• A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO)

• A Community Benefit Society (BenComm)

All with no fewer than 20 members.

Part 5: Asset Transfer Requests

To whom can a request be made:

•A “relevant authority”

Local Authorities and Scottish Public Sector Organisations listed eg

a Health Board,

Scottish Fire and Rescue,

Scottish Police Authority

• And

•others that might be added by the Scottish Government in the future.

Does Asset Transfer under the Act have to be at market value?

• No. The Act does not say anything about how much a community body would be expected to pay for transfer of an asset. It only says the community transfer body must state in the asset transfer request the price it is prepared to pay.

• The relevant authority must agree to the request unless there are reasonable grounds for refusal, taking into consideration (amongst other things) the benefits that may arise from the community body’s proposal and comparing that to the benefits of any other proposal.

• http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/engage/CommunityEmpowermentBillFAQs

Benefits of Community Ownership

• Long-term social, economic and environmental transformation of communities

• Protect / enhance key local services

• Creates opportunities to be enterprising, create jobs, business opportunities, further investment

• Give independence and control over the future- allows for major developments

• Encourage exploration of opportunities to move toward self – sufficiency

• Build Community confidence, pride, identity and cohesion.

Glenboig Neighbourhood centre in North Lanarkshire, established in 2000, initially taking on two former police buildings, currently run all services in the community centre, have submitted a request for an asset transfer.

Gigha’s small island off West Coast of Scotland its windmills are ground breaking. This is Scotland’s first community owned, grid connected, windfarm. Perhaps even more significantly, the financial model that has been developed to underpin the project is very robust and capable of widespread replication by communities throughout Scotland. Gigha’s ‘dancing ladies’ have led the way, many more community windfarms will follow

The Three Villages Community Hall is a community facility developed and provided by the Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust. It is managed by a Hall Management Group, which reports to the Trust.

Twechar Community Action transformed the old recreation Centre into Twechar Healthy Living and Enterprise Centre. A community hub which houses a full time pharmacy, a satellite GP surgery, café, sports hall and meeting rooms and vast range of activities and services

Any Questions or Observations?

Community Ownership Support Service

• 1B Washington Lane

• Edinburgh

• EH11 2HA

0131 225 2080

www.dtascommunityownership.org.uk

Contact us

Engage Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire Council

Alan McNiven

Stuart Graham

“The Partners want to talk to you when they want something…

But when you want something…

It’s different”

A different approach to the conversation…

Is it about buildings? Underpinning…

Improving

Communities

Tackling Inequalities

When the themes crossover -

opportunity for greatest impact…

The “Act” will mean different things to different Community Cohorts…

Community Empowerment

Act

Parents’ Groups

Social Enterprise

Religious Organisations

Uniform Organisations

Community owned

Football Clubs

What are the opportunities for Partnership from this Act

1. The Asset

Community Group x want …

What do/can we offer?

Is it a Transparent Offer?

Is it a “Flexible” Deal?

A Transparent but

Flexible Offer

2. The Service

Community Group X wants to operate a Youth/Health/Environmental Service…

Can we at the present time be transparent regards which services we want to talk about?

Can we be flexible in Our Approach?

Procurement For

Community Benefit

3. Participation Request?

Management of …

Guaranteeing a “Hearing”

Follow up and justification required…

For All Partners… Consistency of Approach…

Participation Requests…..

Opportunity:

–Unlocking the latent potential of a greater number of Cohort Groups within the Community….

…TOOLKIT…

What information do groups need?

What format?

What’s the best way to promote this?

Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 www.consult.scotland.gov.uk Guidance to community groups and public services to implement the Act positively Community Planning Asset Transfer Abandoned Land Participation Requests

Community Planning Clarifies the purpose of community planning and who is responsible

Improve outcomes and reduce inequalities Shared leadership and accountability Understanding local needs Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans

Asset Transfer Intention to strengthen communities and make ownership of assets easier

Defines assets and who can seek transfer/use.

Process for making or dealing with requests

Reviews and appeals

Abandoned Land Enables communities to buy neglected land without a willing seller, in certain circumstances

Sets out policy proposals

Processes

Prohibitions

Participation Requests Enables community requests to participate with public services in delivering better outcomes

Requests and decisions

Outcome improvement process

Appeals and review

1. What activities might community groups in Renfrewshire want to do that could be supported by a land or asset transfer or by participating in delivering services?

• Clubs for older adults

• Activities for young people

• Uniformed groups supported by volunteers including parents

• Running local communities/ sport centres

• Services: Community led health/health improvement

• Recovery services/ recovery radio

• Tannahill Centre used to full potential

1. What activities might community groups in Renfrewshire want to do that could be supported by a land or asset transfer or by participating in delivering services?

• Opportunities for young people to be involved in decision making

• Community gardens/ allotments

• Outdoor gyms

• Community Hubs

• Youth friendly facilities

• Asking communities the services they want

• Intergenerational services and facilities

• Business Development

• Work space areas

• Creative arts

• Community pharmacies

• Community transport

2. What should public services do to make community groups aware of the contents of the Community Empowerment Act?

• Tailored information for different groups/audiences

• One stop shop for requests

• Ensure that young people are informed as they are proactive within communities

• Provision of information in more creative ways and not just written including bringing it to life in case studies

• Create more opportunities to have this type of conversation in schools, places of work and community groups etc.

• Tackle vacant land and buildings by actively promoting the CE Act when ‘To Let’ signs appear

• Social media

• E-mail information

• Idea pitching

3. What help from public services do you think community

groups will need to be able to make full use of the Community Empowerment Act proposals?

• Video submission rather then written • Ensure that funding is easier to access and provide support for

funding application • Simple, understandable information about the Act and

process • Contact information – where is the front door?(road map on

steps) • Go out to people in the community • List of buildings/ sites that might be available • Provide training • Provide case studies and examples • Tailor Toolkit and a drop-in service with a specialist in a local

area

4. What are your views on having a maximum population size of 30,000 for localities for the purposes of locality planning?

• If the proportion is too big it loses locality, population size should be smaller

• Keep small local distinct areas separate e.g. Villages

• Break up the towns

• Local identity is important

• Creating/developing links between local communities

• Schools could offer community service to non-pupils living in the area

• Could be potentially

Panel Q & A

Workshop session 1

Networking and Lunch

Workshop session 2

Plenary session

Close