Decision details

(1)  To determine that the subject asset be transferred to Stanton Drew Parish Council via a Community Asset Transfer.

(2)  To delegate to the Head of Corporate Estate, in Consultation with the Section 151 Officer, the power to enter a Community Asset Transfer.

The Community Asset Transfer will benefit B&NES by removing holding, asset management and maintenance costs. Project resources will transfer to Stanton Drew Parish Council (SDPC) with funds allocated by SDPC for work in this area when the annual budget is prepared each year.

Managing the land will be SDPC’s responsibility with a member of the Parish Council checking the asset on a weekly basis.

Local management and responsibility for the assets will improve as a result of Parish Council personal investment.

The Parish Council intends to use reserved funds and to seek match funding from local charities to enable a complete replacement of equipment in the play area. Good equipment is expensive; thus, the Parish Council would also try and seek multi-source funding, via nationally available grants. The Parish is in an area that benefits from the existence of two supportive and active Community Funds. Initial enquiries indicate that the local charity trusts would be happy to support an application for equipment that is to be sited on an area if it has a long-term security of tenure. A lease of 15 years would be sufficient.

Housing has advised there is clearly potential for a small housing development on the site which would still leave space for a good quality play area and create the added advantage of natural supervision of the play area. Given the scarcity of other Council-owned sites in the area which could enable some rural affordable housing, the Housing team were not comfortable supporting the transfer of the site on a permanent basis as this would deny them the option to explore a development with future Parish leaders.

As such it was agreed to offer a 15-year lease to Stanton Drew Parish Council. Housing can then revisit the site in the near future and are agreeable to the 15-year term.

The Parish Council has confirmed that it is agreeable to proceeding by way of a 15-year lease term for the Play Area. When the Local Plan is ready to be submitted, the Parish Council will review their Neighbourhood Plan and at that point initiate a Local Housing Need Assessment and consult with Housing.