To seek approval for changes to the Authority’s Community Asset Transfer policy to ensure that Priority 1 asset transfers can be progressed efficiently and effectively until such time as a comprehensive sports pavilion and playing fields strategy is developed which will be presented to the Cabinet for consideration in due course. 

The Corporate Director Communities sought approval for changes to the Authority’s Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy to ensure that Priority 1 asset transfers can be progressed efficiently and effectively until such time as a comprehensive sports pavilion and playing fields strategy is developed to be presented to the Cabinet for consideration in due course. 

He reported that the authority had recognised due to significant budgetary constraints, services could no longer operate at previous levels and there was a need to explore alternative methods of service delivery.  He stated that the Refurbishment and management of Sports Pavilions approved by cabinet on 4 February 2014 had identified £3.85m of repairs required to sports pavilions.  A sum of £1m of capital funding had been approved by Council in February 2014 to improve the condition of self-managed sports pavilions in partnership with users.  In July 2015, Cabinet agreed to undertake a phased approach to Community Asset Transfer with the first tranche focusing on the transfer of Priority 1 assets - sports pavilions, community centres, bus shelters and public conveniences.  A Community Asset Transfer Officer came into post in November 2015.  He informed Cabinet that the Rural Development Programme had commissioned a review to determine the impact of CATs on clubs and societies. 

He reported that to date, only £110,000 had been awarded to Bryncethin RFC to assist with the upgrading of its pavilion, thereby reducing the balance of available funding to £890,000.  Since the Allocation of funding to Bryncethin RFC further work has been recently undertaken on estimating the repair cost required on the pavilion stock, which found that the situation has changed since the 2014 with the majority of pavilions requiring increasingly expensive repairs across the majority of premises.  Bryncethin RFC would therefore be the only CAT project to be allocated funding based upon the original 40% of the estimated cost of refurbishment for each pavilion set out under the ‘Refurbishment and Management of Sports Pavilions’ Report.  It was proposed that a maximum contribution of up to £50,000 towards repairs or refurbishment works per CAT transfer is set to enable individual CAT projects to be progressed, subject to business case approval, while a formal funding mechanism is established.  However, where the argument for increased levels of funding is clearly presented in a strong business case then amounts in excess of £50,000 may also be considered. 

The Corporate Director Communities also reported that expressions of interest have been approved by the Corporate Property Group or the Strong Communities Connecting Services (SCCS) Board depending on the complexity of the project.  The SCCS Board has indicated that the detailed discussions on CAT are taking up a considerable proportion of its time and of limited interest to partners, and the SCCS Board has requested that discussions and decisions relating to CAT should be transferred elsewhere within the Authority.  A CAT Steering Group has been established to oversee the transfer of Priority 1 assets.  It was proposed that the CAT Steering Group should also have responsibility for reviewing and approving the financial assessment of the Business Case undertaken by the Finance Department and the Heads of Terms for the transaction prepared by Property Services.  Approval for a CAT transfer and associated funding should be made by the Corporate Director (Communities) in conjunction with the Section 151 Officer.  He stated that a a dedicated CAT Advisory Panel should be established to provide ad hoc specialist advice and guidance in respect of Community Asset Transfers considered by the CAT Steering Group to be of a complex nature.  The Advisory Panel would be empowered to make recommendations on the transfer of Council owned assets and associated grant funding in accordance with approved policies.

The Cabinet Member Communities stated there had been slow progress to date with the programme but there was now a realisation that Town and Community Councils had to progress CATs in order to preserve services.

RESOLVED:            That Cabinet approved the changes to the process relating to Priority 1 Cat’s as follows:-

(1)          Funding of Sports Pavilion Repairs as outlined in paragraph 4.1.5 of the report;

CAT approvals as outlined in paragraphs 4.2.6 and 4.2.7 of the report.