The Skills and Sustainable Development Manager reported on an update on Community Asset Transfer. 

She informed the Forum that the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Officer had received approaches from 56 organisations with 18 applications progressing to the business planning stage.  She stated that applications were predominantly from sports organisations who aimed to pursue the self-management of pavilions and also keen to explore the maintenance of playing fields.  To date, three applications were progressing from Town and Community Councils for the asset transfer of public toilets, bus shelters, pavilions and community centres. 

The Skills and Sustainable Development Manager reported that the Wales Cooperative centre had been commissioned to study the CAT process, with one of the recommendations relating to providing additional support to interested groups and organisations to assist them through the CAT process.  To this end, independent support had been commissioned by the Council which would be available from October 2016 until March 2019 subject to the contract being award. 

The Skills and Sustainable Development Manager informed the Forum that the £50k per annum capital allocation had been increased to £100k per annum between 2016-17 and 2018-19 funded from the Change Fund Earmarked Reserve for CAT related applications.  She also informed the Forum there had been a lot in interest in the CAT process but how CAT is implemented is dependent on the outcome of the Strategic Review of parks and playing fields. 

A member of the Forum questioned what would happen to assets which had restrictive covenants placed on them which could potentially be the subject of a CAT.  The Corporate Director Communities informed the Forum that restrictive covenants on assets would be looked at by the Council’s Property Department.  Steps would be taken by the Council to protect itself as well as the applicant in the event of an asset being transferred.           

A member of the Forum questioned the amount of funding that remained in the capital allocation for CAT.  The Corporate Director Communities informed the Forum that allocation of £1m remained in the capital allocation to provide capital investment to refurbish and improve the Council’s sports pavilions.  However there was intent to support one application and  the amount will be subject to their Business Plan application’ .  A member of the Forum questioned the progress being made with surveys being undertaken in order to progress CAT applications.  The CAT Officer informed the Forum that the Property Department has commissioned surveys but there had been delays in reports being received which would inform the parks and playing fields review.  She stated that the surveys being undertaken are asset management surveys and not structural surveys.

A member of the Forum questioned whether assets would be put into a serviceable condition prior to transfer.  The Corporate Director Communities informed the Forum that the Council would not invest in facilities where there was no interest coming forward to manage the facilities as this would not prove best value for money.  Where there is interest in a CAT and an organisation has submitted a viable and robust business case, funding from the capital allocation would be used towards the refurbishment of an asset to facilitate the transfer to a suitable state of repair for transfer.  A member of the Forum commented that where an organisation submits an application for CAT and shares facilities with other users there was a need to protect the other users in order that they continue to have access to those facilities.  The Corporate Director Communities informed the Forum that organisations submitting business cases would need to have due regard to other existing users of facilities so that they are protected.  He stated there were advantages in organisations pursuing CAT early to ensure the funding does not run out and applications would being considered on a first come first served basis.  He also stated that there was a need to demonstrate a level of investment by the Council in facilities to facilitate their transfer.  He informed the Forum that it was coincidental that the first CAT required a higher level of investment prior to transfer due to its poor state of repair. 

The Cabinet Member Communities informed the Forum that the Council did not wish to close facilities and are looking at CAT as an alternative to this option should further pressures be made on service budgets.  She believed once the first CAT had taken place, others would follow.  She stated that the Council had visited Blaenau Gwent Council who were one of the first local authorities to progress with CAT at a large scale and still only 4 CATs had taken place, which highlights the complexity of the programme.  The Cabinet Member Communities informed the Forum that funding would only be used for essential works to facilitate CAT as some clubs would have proposals to re-build facilities.  Concern was expressed by a member of the Forum that clubs could potentially fold if their facilities were removed.  The Cabinet Member Communities stated that there would be other reasons why clubs could fold and not due to the closure of facilities.  She stated that officers had met with representatives of the WRU recently who had reiterated their commitment to supporting rugby clubs.                                      

RESOLVED:           That the Forum noted the report on progress being made on Community Asset Transfer.