Draft Community Asset Transfer Policy

We asked

We asked for feedback from community organisations across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on a draft Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy which will enable community organisations to take over publicly owned land or buildings and gain responsibility for the ownership, management and running of assets.

This consultation ran from Wednesday 14 September to 11.59pm on Friday 25 November 2022.

What is Community Asset Transfer?

Community Asset Transfer (CAT) is a process that allows a community organisation to take over publicly owned land or buildings in a way that recognises the public benefits that the transfer will bring. Asset transfer means moving the responsibility for the ownership, management and running of assets from the council to a community, voluntary or faith-based organisation.

BCP Council wishes to support community groups coming forward with plans and proposals for community asset transfers, and recognises that the devolution of assets to local communities (including to town and parish councils) can in the right circumstances make a significant contribution to enabling them to be stronger, more resilient, and sustainable.

The draft Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy aims to establish the principles and process for how voluntary and community groups will approach the council with regards to potential community asset transfers, the mechanisms within which each proposed transfer will be assessed and the process of transfer if approved.


When will the policy be implemented?

If agreed, the policy would apply for all transfers from the date of Cabinet approval (date TBC) and will not be applied retrospectively.

Where leasehold arrangements are currently in place, this policy would be applied at the point in time where any such leases are due for renewal.


Have your say

We are interested in hearing feedback from community organisations across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on whether our draft policy is fit for purpose and clear to understand.

We recommend that you read the Draft Community Asset Transfer Policy document before completing our online survey to share your views. If you have any questions not answered or addressed in the draft policy document, please send your question in via our Q&A tool below.

We asked

We asked for feedback from community organisations across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on a draft Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy which will enable community organisations to take over publicly owned land or buildings and gain responsibility for the ownership, management and running of assets.

This consultation ran from Wednesday 14 September to 11.59pm on Friday 25 November 2022.

What is Community Asset Transfer?

Community Asset Transfer (CAT) is a process that allows a community organisation to take over publicly owned land or buildings in a way that recognises the public benefits that the transfer will bring. Asset transfer means moving the responsibility for the ownership, management and running of assets from the council to a community, voluntary or faith-based organisation.

BCP Council wishes to support community groups coming forward with plans and proposals for community asset transfers, and recognises that the devolution of assets to local communities (including to town and parish councils) can in the right circumstances make a significant contribution to enabling them to be stronger, more resilient, and sustainable.

The draft Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy aims to establish the principles and process for how voluntary and community groups will approach the council with regards to potential community asset transfers, the mechanisms within which each proposed transfer will be assessed and the process of transfer if approved.


When will the policy be implemented?

If agreed, the policy would apply for all transfers from the date of Cabinet approval (date TBC) and will not be applied retrospectively.

Where leasehold arrangements are currently in place, this policy would be applied at the point in time where any such leases are due for renewal.


Have your say

We are interested in hearing feedback from community organisations across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on whether our draft policy is fit for purpose and clear to understand.

We recommend that you read the Draft Community Asset Transfer Policy document before completing our online survey to share your views. If you have any questions not answered or addressed in the draft policy document, please send your question in via our Q&A tool below.

Q and A

Please submit any questions you have about the draft Community Asset Transfer Policy that have not been covered in our policy document and we will do our best to answer them. 


We will publish answers on this page unless you state in your submission that you would like a private response. Please note that your screen name will be publicly displayed with your question when the answer is published.

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  • The draft plan is clear, but is it in keeping with the spirit of the legislation that created it? Community groups do not have financial assets in areas of financial deprivation.

    Jackmaguire asked over 1 year ago

    Thank you for your question.

    The draft policy sets out at the beginning that the Council encourages and wants to support community groups to come forward with requests for asset transfers where real benefits can be delivered via CAT. Sometimes community groups can access grants and other funding that local authorities cannot, and this in turn can help sustain and develop the functions of these assets.

  • Is the CAT supported by Government legislation and if so what is it?

    Colin asked over 1 year ago

    Thank you for your question.

    Yes, Community Asset Transfer (CAT) is supported by the Localism Act 2011.

Page last updated: 06 Dec 2022, 01:06 PM