Disused public buildings, including swimming baths, pubs or
hospitals, should be sold off to the community for as little as £1,
a government-commissioned
report recommends today.
The report, published by the Department for Communities and
Local Government, urges councils to sell off or lease assets to
community groups, where the deal is for the benefit of the
community and is underpinned by safeguards to ensure good
management
It argues there are no “substantive barriers” to prevent
councils transferring assets into community management or full
ownership but the available powers are not well known.
The report on Community Management and Ownership of Assets by
Lewisham Council chief executive Barry Quirk concludes that
transferring public assets to local people leads to more responsive
services and more confident communities.
Quirk said: “Community ownership can bring people from different
backgrounds together; it can foster a sense of belonging and play a
role in enhancing the local environment, alleviating poverty and
raising people’s expectations.”
The report won the full backing of Communities Secretary Ruth
Kelly who said councils must move away from the “old orthodoxy” of
distributing grants and look at new ways to devolve power and
influence to community organisations.