The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submitted a report on the Community Asset Transfer (‘CAT’) programme agreed through the Strategic Asset Review which had set a deadline for transfers. Enquiries had been received as to whether that deadline was to remain. The report identified issues that would be raised by a change to the existing deadline and sought the Cabinet’s guidance on the way forward.

Having circulated an amended recommendation to the Cabinet it was then moved by Councillor Holbrook, seconded by Councillor Green and –

Resolved – That,

(1) the date for completion of Community Asset Transfer be extended until 31 March 2012 to align with the deadline for the availability of the Community Fund;

(2) it be emphasised to local community groups that financial support to transfer Assets from the Council to the Community beyond 31 March 2012 cannot be guaranteed and that access to the £4.5 million Community Fund will not be available after that date;

(3) the Council supports local community groups with asset transfer by assigning a named Council officer to assist them through the process who will report back to Cabinet members each month with an update on progress. This officer will also assist in the identification of suitable voluntary sector / faith based organisations with which community groups might wish to enter into partnership arrangements;

(4) Community Assets where communities are unwilling or unable to proceed with Asset Transfer are identified as a matter of urgency and removed from the programme, in order to enable a greater level of support to those groups willing and able to move forward with transfer and to enable the Council to budget more accurately for future levels of support;

(5) decisions on the future of the community centres or halls that cannot transfer by the revised 2012 date via the process outlined above be deferred until the Governance Commission has reported its findings and the extent of future delegation has been determined.