What is Community Asset Transfer?
Community Asset Transfer (CAT) has a focus on ‘the built community infrastructure’ i.e. leisure and community facilities, libraries, open spaces and a variety of other sites and centres. The programme is about transferring these community assets from Milton Keynes Council (MKC) to other relevant organisations in line with the principles of localism (and the emerging requirements of the Localism Act).
The Council’s approach to CAT has a long-term goal of “putting more control into the hands of our local communities”.
The Council recognises the value of enabling local community partners to take more responsibility for local assets and wishes to empower these new arrangements with those organisations that may be best-placed to achieve this.
The aim is to work with community partners to provide and support the delivery of effective local community assets and related services for the people of Milton Keynes.
MK Approach
We have drafted a Community Asset Transfer Toolkit which sets out the criteria for organisations wishing to apply for CAT.
The Toolkit also contains details of the various stages of the application and decision making process, together with anticipated timescales.
Eligibility
The criteria for determining asset transfer are a preference for organisations to be locally run, locally controlled, non-profit distributing, inclusive and democratic organisations with a track record and experience of delivering services to the local community.
Therefore each organisation wishing to apply for CAT needs to meet the following:
1. Be a charitable or not-for-private – profit organisation, e.g. registered charity, company limited by guarantee with charitable status, a Community Interest Company (CIC) or a Parish/ Town Council.
2. Benefit as wide and diverse a range of local people as possible.
3. Have robust systems, governance and policies by meeting all the basic requirements as listed in the CAT toolkit.
4. Have the capacity to manage the asset and have directors or committee members who have the necessary experience and skills (a track record of managing and delivering services within community buildings over the last five years).
Process
Each request for CAT is considered at Stage One. If the organisation is successful at this point they will be notified that they can move onto Stage Two. This will be considered on the basis of a written business case, consisting of a detailed business plan and evidence of need and expertise. Full details can be found in section 6 of the CAT toolkit.
Public Consultation and Application Forms
- Downs Barn Pavilion & Sports Ground
- Frank Moran Centre
- Simpson Village Hall
- Stony Stratford Library
- Green Park Community Centre
Stage One applications for the five pilot transfers are no longer being accepted; the deadline for these assets passed at noon on Friday 16th March 2012.
For details on the consultation please click on the link below.
Draft versions of the application forms can be viewed on the links below.
Between the 31st January and the 24th April 2012, Milton Keynes Council engaged in a series of public consultations on its approach to Community Asset Transfer (C.A.T.). These were carried out in tandem with running a pilot of five community asset transfers, in order to test the validity of this approach.
The purpose of the consultations was:
- To inform key partners what CAT is all about and the reasons for undertaking such a programme.
- To ensure there is an opportunity for all community partners who have an interest in asset transfer to provide feedback on the Toolkit: MKC’s approach to CAT through various media communications and refine it where necessary to improve the transfer process.
- That the aims of CAT have been understood
Although the deadline for submission of comments or queries arising from these particular sessions has now passed, input from the public about any aspect of Community Asset Transfer can still be submitted to the project team via the web feedback form on this site.
Related Links
