Community and voluntary organisations across Fylde could soon take on ownership and management of council-owned land and buildings, after Full Council approved a new Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy at its meeting on Tuesday 7 July.
The policy creates a clear, transparent framework for eligible community groups to apply to take on certain non-strategic Council assets, through long leases at nominal or peppercorn rents, where a strong case for community benefit can be made. It’s a significant step towards handing local people more control over the spaces and places that matter most to them.
Under the new policy, applications will be assessed on a range of factors, including proposed use, evidence of local need, proposed community benefit, financial sustainability and governance arrangements. Appropriate safeguards will ensure that transferred assets continue to be used for community benefit in the long term, and that the Council meets its legal and financial obligations throughout the process.
To support the policy, councillors also approved an amendment to the Council’s Land Transaction Procedure Rules, ensuring that community asset transfers are governed by the dedicated requirements of the new policy rather than procedures designed for conventional commercial land transactions.
Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council, said: “This policy is about empowering our communities to shape their own futures. We know that local groups and organisations often have fantastic ideas for how spaces in their area could be used, and now we have a proper framework to help make that happen. By giving community organisations the opportunity to take on assets that might otherwise sit underused, we can unlock real social, economic and environmental benefits for people right across Fylde.”
Details of eligible assets and how to apply will be published in due course. Interested organisations will then be able to contact the Council for further information.
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