Transcript Slide 1

Update on the Community Rights
and other opportunities
Glenn Arradon
Locality
Locality Members
Community led
Driving social change
Committed to community enterprise
Aiming for long term sustainability
Developing assets
Independent
Over 700 members across the UK - £660m community
owned assets
Community Right to Bid
Right to Buy?
Asset Transfer?
Community Right to Bid
BID
BUY
delay the sale and bid to buy assets of
community value
BID
List of assets of community value
The Pub?
The Post Office?
The Village Hall?
The Corner Shop?
The School?
The Allotments?
Your House?
BID
Who and what can be nominated?
• Nominations – locally connected groups:
– A Parish Council
– Incorporated - charity; CIC; non profit distributing
company or IPS
– Unincorporated group with at least 21 local
members
• Applies to public and private land
• 5 year listing – need to re-nominate!
BID
Definition
Current/recent past use furthers the
“social well-being” or “social interests” of
the community, and likely to continue
Social interests defined as: cultural,
recreational or sporting interests
This must be its principal current or
“recent past” use
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BID
Moratorium Period
• Triggered when owner wants to sell –
freehold/25 year lease
• Owner cannot conclude sale
• 6 weeks for community group to notify LA they
wish to bid
• A further 4.5 months to raise capital to
purchase (6 months in total)
• Followed by a protected period
– 18 months: to protect owner from repeated attempts
to block sale
BID
Exemptions
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Disposal is a gift
Disposal between members of family
If part of bigger estate disposal
If a going concern business is operating
(providing that sale will result in the business
continuing)
BID
Funding for CRtBid
• Available from Social Investment Business
(Community Ownership & Management of Assets programme)
• Pre-feasibility grants of £5k to £10k
• Feasibility grants of £10k to £100k
• Intended for capacity building, training,
expertise, business planning, market research
• Not intended for equipment, building costs or
day to day running costs
Community Right to Bid
BID
any questions?
CHALLENGE
Propose a better way of delivering a local
public service and trigger a procurement
process
Who can use it ?
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Voluntary/community organisation.
Charities.
Parish Councils.
2 or more employees of the Local
Authority involved in that service.
• These are called ‘relevant bodies’.
Which authorities can be challenged?
• Local Authorities
– County councils
– District councils
– London Borough Councils
• Certain other fire and rescue authorities.
• These are called ‘relevant authorities’.
What services are in scope for challenge?
In essence:
• Any service provided by a local authority/fire
service - presumption in favour of acceptance.
But there are some (minor) exceptions:
• A relevant service jointly commissioned with an
NHS body (until April 2014).
• A relevant service commissioned or provided by a
relevant authority in respect of a person with
complex health needs/direct payments.
How is the challenge made?
The relevant body submits an
expression of interest (EOI)
to the relevant authority
EoI requirements
• A sound business case:
• Financial resources;
• Capable of providing the service;
• Outcomes to be achieved;
• How the provision will improve the social, economic
or environmental well-being of the area;
• How it will meet the needs of users;
• Engagement with affected employees (for spin-outs).
• LA either accepts, rejects, or passes back for
amendment - can only pass back if they would otherwise
reject.
Reasons for rejection
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“Inadequate or inaccurate” plans.
“Not suitable” to provide service.
Service related to NHS body.
Already subject to procurement.
Subject to mutual ‘spin-out’.
“Frivolous or vexatious”.
Lead to breach of duty/law.
Pros and cons of making a challenge
Pros
Cons
•Opens a dialogue with the
commissioner
•Introduces some ‘local’
thinking
•Third sector collaboration
•Causes defensive behaviour
from LA
•Opens the market to
competition – be prepared!
•The eventual contract
opportunity might look very
different
Community services grants from SIB
• Available from Social Investment Business:
• Pre-feasibility grants - £5k to £10k.
• Feasibility grants - £10k to £100k (can apply
for 50%/30% of contract costs; depends if
under/over £30k).
• For consortia building, training, expertise,
business planning, market research, etc.
• Not intended for equipment, building costs or
running costs.
Eligibility Criteria
• A valid reference number from Locality’s Advice
Service - www.mycommunityrights.org.uk
• Community interest groups with well evidenced
local connections.
• Demonstrate good levels of local control with
local people and local representatives making
the majority of decisions.
• Unable to finance the work from own funds.
What type of contracts/services are being considered through those grants?
•managing children’s centres
•social care services
•youth services
•housing repairs & maintenance services
•transport services
•Drug & Alcohol support
•environmental services
What have the grants been
used for?
•business plans (consultants)
•building a consortium
•feasibility plans
•building quality systems
•tender preparation
Over 2,000
enquiries
Since last June
atu.org.uk
mycommunityrights.org.uk
www.cocollaborative.org.uk