{"id":3195,"date":"2016-11-03T09:46:58","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T09:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/?post_type=news_post&p=3195"},"modified":"2021-08-02T14:16:17","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T13:16:17","slug":"steady-progress-communities-taking-local-assets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/news\/steady-progress-communities-taking-local-assets\/","title":{"rendered":"Steady progress for communities taking over local assets"},"content":{"rendered":"
Local communities are taking control of their libraries, sports grounds and even public toilets\u2014but transferring assets could be higher on the local government agenda, according to new research<\/a> commissioned by the independent trust Power to Change<\/em>.<\/p>\n The research report by the New Local Government Network, A<\/em> Common Interest<\/em>, finds that council officials broadly welcome the idea of transferring more assets to be run by community groups, but still face challenges turning this enthusiasm into action.<\/p>\n The report draws on new data and more than a hundred interviews with local government officials, policy-makers, community businesses and local political figures.<\/p>\n In a sample of dozens of local councils, officers identified the main benefits of asset transfer as:<\/p>\n — reducing the cost of service provision (85%)<\/p>\n — protecting services that would otherwise be lost (81%)<\/p>\n — involving communities in designing and delivering services (81%)<\/p>\n The assets most likely to be taken into local community ownership are:<\/p>\n — community centres (53% local authorities had transferred ownership)<\/p>\n — public green spaces (42%)<\/p>\n — sports facilities (23%)<\/p>\n — libraries (16%)<\/p>\n However:<\/p>\n — Only 6 out of 10 local authorities surveyed have a policy on community asset transfer. Just half \u2018actively pursue\u2019 a community asset transfer policy<\/p>\n — 20% of local authorities surveyed haven\u2019t transferred any assets to communities in the last five years. 70% have transferred fewer than 10 assets in the last five years<\/p>\n