Assets of Community Assets

The Community Right to Bid was introduced by the Localism Act 2011. It aims to keep valued land and buildings in community use by giving local people the chance to bid to buy them, if and when they come onto the market. It also gives local people the opportunity to nominate public and private land and buildings to be included on a register of ‘Assets of Community Value’. If an asset included on the register is offered for sale, the right is triggered. Those interested in acquiring the asset will then have up to six months to prepare a bid and compete to buy it.

The local community can use the Community Right to Bid to nominate, and then bid for local land and buildings including:

Village shops

Village halls

Public houses

Former schools

Swimming pools

A public open space

These might currently be in public ownership, but they could also be owned by a private company or an individual.

A building or other land is an Asset of Community Value if its main use is (or has recently been) to further the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community and could do so in the future. The Localism Act 2011 states that 'social interests' include cultural, recreational and sporting interests. Regulations list a number of situations where land or buildings are exempted from inclusion on the list or operation of the moratorium. These include homes, hotels, assets being transferred between kindred businesses, and Church of England land holdings.

There are a number of community organisations who can nominate land and buildings for inclusion on the list:

Parish councils
Neighbourhood forums (as defined in Neighbourhood Planning regulations)
Unincorporated community groups of at least 21 members
Not-for-private-profit organisations (e.g. charities)

Community organisations also have to have a local connection, which means their activities are wholly or partly concerned with the area, or with a neighbouring authority’s area.

Anyone wishing to nominate land or a building in the Arun district can use the online form on their website, apply by email or send a request to the Local Land Charges department of Arun District Council. If the land or building is outside the Arun District, the nomination should be sent to the local authority for the area concerned. The council will acknowledge all nominations, and must decide whether the nominated land or property should be included on its list of Assets of Community Value within eight weeks of receiving the nomination. Nominations which meet statutory criteria will be added to the list of assets of community value. The Owner of the property has a right to appeal the Council’s decision. The website at Arun District Council shows a current list of assets recorded on the register of ‘Assets of Community Value’.

The Community Right to Bid does not give a right of first refusal to community organisations to buy an asset that they successfully nominate for inclusion on the Local Authority’s list. What it does do is give time for them to put together the funding necessary to bid to buy the asset on the open market.

If an owner wants to sell property or land that is on the list, they must tell the Local Authority. If the nominating body is keen to develop a bid, they can then call for the Local Authority to trigger a moratorium period, during which time the owner cannot proceed to sell the asset. There are two moratorium periods. Both start from the date the owner of the asset tells the Local Authority of their intention to sell.The first is the interim moratorium period, which is six weeks, during which time community organisations can decide if they want to be considered as a potential bidder. If none do so, the owner is free to sell their asset at the end of the six weeks. The other is a full moratorium period, which is six months, during which a community organisation – having declared they wish to bid – can develop a proposal and raise the money required to bid to buy the asset. Regulations list some situations where the moratorium will not be applied, even when it is an Asset of Community Value on the list. These exceptions include the sale of assets from one partner or another (for example in a divorce).

MAYPOLE INN, MAYPOLE LANE, YAPTON

Arun District Council has now designated the Maypole Inn, Maypole Lane, Yapton as an Asset of Community Value on the 7th January 2016.

?Later in 2016 Arun District Council received an application for the Scout Hall in Drove Lane, Yapton to be nominated as an Asset of Community Value. Following the required consultation The Council approved the nomination of the Scout Hall in Drove Lane as ant Asset of Community Value.

Further details about Assets of Community Value can be found on the Arun District Council Website at http://www.arun.gov.uk/main.cfm?type=ASSETSOFCOMMUNITYV