Building, Assets, and Services
Grants –
In support of the
Community Rights
Key
• Community Rights
• Funding
• Support
• Case studies
The Community Rights
BUILD
BID
CHALLENGE
Community Right to Build
BUILD
small scale, site-specific developments
without planning permission
BUILD
Welcome to
NEIGHBOURHOOD
PLANNING
Please drive carefully
Community Right to Build
• a specific kind of neighbourhood development order
Like Neighbourhood Development Plans –
• neighbourhood area needs to approved by the Local
Planning Authority
• CRtB Order must be in ‘general conformity’ with the NPPF
and local plan
• independently assessed
• subject to a local referendum
Community Right to Build
• allows specific proposals to be developed
without planning permission
• may be used as part of a neighbourhood plan or
separately
• expected to be mainly used for small scale
housing in rural areas
• but can be used for shops, businesses,
community facilities, playgrounds, small scale
power generation, etc
Who can submit a CRtBuild Order?
• parish council or existing neighbourhood
forum
• local charities
• incorporated community organisations
- ‘established for… furthering the social. economic &
environmental well-being of individuals living, or
wanting to live, in a particular area’
Opportunities
• revenue generated stays with the
community
• take advantage of CIL and New Homes
Bonus
• encourages community spirit and
ownership
• encourages partnerships with developers
Challenges
• small scale – 5 to 20 houses
• community must acquire the land and capital
to develop
• may be easier to just get planning permission
in most cases
Funding for Building Grant
Programme
• available from Homes & Communities Agency (HCA)
• £17½ million over 3 years (2012-15)
• help towards the cost of preparing a CRtBuild Order,
local consultation and developing the scheme
• not intended for building, land or development costs
• For info on how to apply visit
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/communit
y-right-to-build
Funding – Building Grant
Application process
Seek Advice from Locality’s
My Community
Rights line
Apply to the
fund - via the
Homes and
Communities
Agency (HCA)
Assessment –
HCA may
contact you and
ask you to
provide further
information.
Investment
offer –
Successful
applicants will
receive an offer
letter.
Monitoring and
reporting - Start
your project and
monitor your
outputs and
outcomes.
Right to Build case studies
Hulcote and Salford Parish Council
• Hulcote and Salford Parish Council are in the process of mounting a
Community Right to Build order. This is in response to the fact local
people cannot afford the high prices in the village. Housing needs require
a review backed by local resident support.
• The Parish Council are looking to build 4 affordable 2 bed houses and
have identified suitable land for this. The land is secured and gifted by a
local landowner. A brown field site, it is currently occupied by dilapidated
chicken sheds. Grand Union housing association are agreeable to
constructing and managing development, however Central Bedfordshire
Council say the site is not designated for such use in the local plan.
• The Parish Council are now setting up a local group of people and are
applying for funding from the HCA.
• For more case studies visit mycommunityrights.org.uk/case-studies
Right to Build case studies
Brixton Green
• Brixton Green was set up in 2007 by local people in Brixton, South
London and registered as an industrial society in 2009. Brixton Green is
interested in using the Community Right to Build and is involving the
community in the development of a large neglected site along
Somerleyton Road.
• Creative hub – bringing together three established Brixton arts
organisations with additional space for community groups and smaller
creative businesses.
• Community hub – use community activity near the unwelcoming alley
under the railway to help resolve the permeability issues at this end of
the site.
• Sustainably built street facing homes – including family units on the
ground floor, front gardens and communal rear gardens.
• For more case studies visit mycommunityrights.org.uk/case-studies
Community Right to Build
BUILD
any questions?
Community Right to Bid
BUY
Right to Buy?
Land Reform (Scotland) Act
2003
- stimulated a series of community
land buy-outs
- more than half the Western Isles
now in community ownership
Community Right to Bid
BUY
delay the sale and bid to buy assets of
community value
Right to Bid (Assets of Community Value)
“aims to ensure that buildings and amenities can
be kept in public use and remain an integral part
of community life”
Assets of Community Value
List of assets of community value
The Pub?
The Post Office?
The Village Hall?
The Corner Shop?
The School?
The Allotments?
Your House?
Assembling an assets list
• LAs to list assets of ‘community value’
• Public, private, and VCS owned
• Nominated by Parish Council,
community council, or a locally
connected voluntary or community
body
• LA must inform owner and nominee
• Right of appeal for landowner
• 5 year listing
The Pub?
The Post Office?
The Village Hall?
The Corner Shop?
The School?
The Allotments?
What is Community Value?
Must further the social well-being or
cultural, recreational or sporting interests
of the local community
This must be its principal use
Must continue to further the social wellbeing or interests of the local community



Moratorium Period
• Triggered when owner wants to sell
• During which the owner cannot conclude sale
• 6 weeks for community group to notify LA they wish
to bid
• 6 months to raise capital to purchase
• Followed by a protected period
– 18 months: to protect owner from
attempts to block sale
repeated
Exemptions
•
•
•
•
If disposal is a gift
Disposal between members of family
If part of bigger estate
If a going concern business is operating (providing
that sale will result in the business continuing)

The Opportunity
• A legal mechanism to encourage community
ownership of assets
• Owners viewing assets in a completely
different way – as valuable community
resources – and recognising they have a
responsibility to ensure their preservation
Challenges
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Does it discourage less than market transfer?
Treatment of BME and Community of Identity?
More liabilities than assets?
6 months (development time is usually 2-3 years)
‘Right to’ may create conflict in communities
The owner doesn’t have to sell to that group
Maintaining ‘principal use’
Funding – Asset Grant Programme
• Over £16m available to community groups looking to
buy buildings and assets
• Available from the Social Investment Business
• Pre-feasibility grants of £5k to £10k
• Feasibility grants of £10k to £100k
• can apply for 50% or 30% of contract costs (depends if
under or over £30k)
• intended for capacity building, training, expertise,
business planning, market research…
• not intended for equipment, building costs or
running costs
Funding – Application process
• Interested organisations are advised to contact the
Community Rights Advice Service
at www.mycommunityrights.org.uk or call 0845 345
4564 to assess their suitability for the Grant
Programmes.
• Once approved, you can download an application
from the Social Investment Business website…
www.sibgroup.org.uk/communityrights/apply
Funding – Application process
Seek Advice from Locality’s
My Community
Rights line
Apply to the
fund - via the
Social
Investment
Business’ (SIB)
website
Assessment –
SIB may contact
you and ask you
to provide
further
information.
Investment
offer –
Successful
applicants will
receive an offer
letter.
Monitoring and
reporting - Start
your project and
monitor your
outputs and
outcomes.
Right to Bid case studies
Headingley Development Trust
• Headingley Development Trust was established in 2005 by a group of local
residents concerned about the rapidly changing nature of the area.
Around 2005, Headingley Primary School was to become redundant, with
the likelihood of it being converted to flats. The Trust was determined to
find an alternative future for the school.
• The Trust set about developing a range of other initiatives including:
whole food shop acquired through a community share issue farmers’
market pig and fowl co-operative.
• The school, built in 1882, was in need of repair and remodelling in order
to convert it to community use. The total cost of refurbishment was
around £1.3m, financed through a community share issue plus loans and
grant funding.
• For more case studies visit mycommunityrights.org.uk/case-studies
Right to Bid case studies
The Fox & Hounds Inn, Ennerdale, Cumbria
• The Fox & Hounds Inn is a community-run pub in Ennerdale Bridge in the
Lake District. When the community heard the pub was closing, they
decided to take on the lease and running of the pub.
• They had to persuade the owner they could raise £67,000 in 2 weeks.
Local people pledged to buy shares for a proposed not-for-profit
Industrial and Provident Society. The owner then agreed to a 15-year
lease – plus the right of first refusal of the freehold if it comes up for sale.
• Volunteers transformed the half-derelict pub in just 4 weeks – in time for
the tourist season. It opened in April 2011 and has taken £297,000 in its
first year – more than expected.
• For more case studies visit mycommunityrights.org.uk/case-studies
Community Right to Bid
BID
any questions?
Community Right to Challenge
CHALLENGE
challenge and take over a council service they
think can be better run
When can we submit an EOI?
• At anytime. Unless…
• The LA specifies periods for submitting EOI
(inc beginning and end dates)
Who can submit an Expression of Interest?
•
•
•
•
charities
voluntary organisations
parish councils
2 or more employees of the Local Authority
involved in that service
Then what?
• LA must respond in writing
• If accepted a commissioning and procurement
process is triggered
• If not - gives reasons for rejection
• Rejection of EOI only on grounds set out in
regulations
Challenges
•
•
•
•
•
But what is the market? - Local Authority budgets cut
Smaller contracts - Be careful what you wish for!
Opening the door for others
Potential for creating conflict with LA
LAs dealing with what seems like contradictory policy
(Localism vs Gershon)
Opportunities
•
•
•
•
Encourages ‘local thinking’
Co-design of services
Breaking down contract size
A catalyst for voluntary & community sector
collaboration
Funding – Community Services
Grant Programme
•
•
•
•
Available from Social Investment Business
Pre-feasibility grants of £5k to £10k
Feasibility grants of £10k to £100k
can apply for 50% or 30% of contract costs (depends if
under or over £30k)
• intended for consortia building, training, expertise,
business planning, market research…
• not intended for equipment, building costs or
running costs
Funding – Applying
• Interested organisations are advised to contact the
Community Rights Advice Service
at www.mycommunityrights.org.uk or call 0845 345
4564 to assess their suitability for the Grant
Programmes.
• Once approved, you can download an application
form here…
www.sibgroup.org.uk/communityrights/apply
Funding – Application process
Seek Advice from Locality’s
My Community
Rights line
Apply to the
fund - via the
Social
Investment
Business’ (SIB)
website
Assessment –
SIB may contact
you and ask you
to provide
further
information.
Investment
offer –
Successful
applicants will
receive an offer
letter.
Monitoring and
reporting - Start
your project and
monitor your
outputs and
outcomes.
Right to Challenge case studies
Ventnor Town Council
• Ventnor Town Council is exploring the potential to take over
responsibility for car parks from the Isle of Wight Council and plan to
use the Community Right to Challenge.
• Parking has been a long-term problem in the densely-packed Victorian
town of Ventnor and is faced by residents and businesses. In a town
reliant on visitors to the centre to stimulate its economy, residents,
shoppers and workers who commute to the town are all fighting for
parking spaces.
• Ventnor Town Council have received a grant through the My Community
Rights support service of £9k and have commissioned parking expert,
Parkspace Consulting, to analyse the problems Ventnor face and make
recommendations for a Ventnor-based car parking service.
• For more case studies visit mycommunityrights.org.uk/case-studies
Right to Challenge case studies
Little Red Bus
• Little Red Bus, a well-established community transport organisation in
Harrogate would like to use the Right to Challenge to also offer adult
social services transport in the area.
• The Little Red Bus network aims to remove the barriers to services
presented by non-car ownership, reducing social exclusion arising from
rural isolation and limited mobility.
• They work towards improving pollution, congestion and parking
problems, and providing reliable, high quality, sustainable transport
solutions.
• They are applying for grant funding through the My Community Rights
advice service to do feasibility work to support a challenge and
expression of interest to run these services.
• For more case studies visit mycommunityrights.org.uk/case-studies
Community Right to Challenge
CHALLENGE
any questions?
Where to now?
HELP
Where to go first?
• Locality advice service - 0845 345 4564, MonFri 9.30am – 12.30pm.
• Or http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/
If approved, where next?
• Asset and Services grants - Once approved, you can
download application guidance from the Social
Investment Business website…
www.sibgroup.org.uk/communityrights/apply or call
0191 261 5200 or e-mail enquiries@sibgroup.org.uk
• Building grants - Once approved, you can download
application guidance from the Housing and
Communities Agency website…
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/communit
y-right-to-build or e-mail crtb@hca.gsi.gov.uk