Decision details

Cabinet considered proposals to create a revised and strengthened policy by which Cheshire East Borough Council would manage and administer the Community Right to Bid.

The Community Right to Bid was a function of the Localism Act 2011 that the Council was required to administer. It was designed to allow community groups time to assemble bids for assets that both they and the Council considered to be of ‘community value’ by evoking a moratorium period when a listed asset was to be sold. The Right did apply to privately held assets as well as those owned by the Council; and it did not force the asset owner to sell to any bidding community groups.

The process and criteria by which the Council would administer the Right were further detailed in the appendices to the report.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet approves

1.    subject the following criteria to govern the assessment of nominations, together with the more detailed process delineated in Appendices 1 and 2 to the report:

§  The address and location of the property

§  Details of the owner and current occupants

§  The extent of the site and its proposed boundaries

§  Details and documents proving that the nominating group is constitutionally eligible to nominate

§  Details evidencing that the nominating group has a sufficient ‘local connection’ to nominate

§  Why it is felt the asset is of community value. This should entail evidence that:

§  the asset currently boosts the social well-being and interests of the community

§  If the asset is not currently used for community benefit, it was used to sustainably further social well-being and community interests in the recent past

§  the asset will sustainably further social well-being and community interests in the future

§  the asset will benefit different sections of the community if its use is targeted at one or more community groups

§  the asset currently has a beneficial social impact for the community

§  the asset currently has a beneficial economic impact for the community

§  A robust business plan to be submitted with the bid, demonstrating the sustainability of the proposal.

2.    the following responsibilities relating to the Community Right to Bid:

(a)  The Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity be given delegated authority to consider and administer nominations and any appeals for compensation that should arise.

(b)  The Monitoring Officer be given delegated authority to undertake internal reviews of nomination and compensation assessments should this be required.

(c)  As required, the Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity and the Monitoring Officer to liaise with the appropriate Portfolio Holders to discharge these duties.

(d)  Pursuant to these delegations, the Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity to put in place arrangements for an appropriate officer steering group consisting of representatives from the Assets, Resilient Communities, Economic Development and Regeneration, Legal, and Development Management teams.