Issue - meetings

Please find attached a report on the ‘Community Asset Transfer Review’. The original recommendations table is attached as Appendix 2. Please note that the completed table will be sent out at a later date.

The Chairman explained the background to this item in that there had been a task and finish group which had done some work around Community Asset Transfer and had sent it’s recommendations to the Cabinet member. He explained that the Cabinet member would now give his response to these recommendations.

Councillor Bellotti addressed each recommendation in the report as shown below:

Recommendation 1 – Accepted

Recommendation 2 – Accepted (he noted that so far everyone he has spoken to asked for as long a lease as possible but acknowledged the need for a short lease option)

Recommendation 3 – Accept (he stated that there were too many meetings already and that in principle, this should be property led)

Recommendation 4 – Defer (he stated that he did not think the Panel was the right place to bring individual cases so wanted to amend the wording)

Recommendation 5 – Accept (he stated that the development of best practice was key to this). Regarding the ‘Financial Assessment’, he reported that this would be considered in the context of the 2014/15 budget.

He thanked the Panel for the report and stated that the Cabinet were 100% signed up to this Community Asset Transfer.

Councillor Bull thanked the Cabinet Member for supporting the recommendations.

There was some discussion around the wording in the report:

Councillor Myers stated that, regarding recommendation 5 – this was not meant to read as officer time, there is a self help group waiting to do this work. He stated that with regard to recommendation 4 – he agreed the Panel did not need to see individual cases.

The Chairman summarised that the following had been jointly agreed with the Panel and Cabinet Member and the Cabinet will take this on board.

The Panel RESOLVED that:

·  On Recommendation 4, Tom McBain, Divisional Director and Chief Property Officer would be the reference point; and

·  On Recommendation 5, this would be provided by a self help group; and

·  The Panel will receive annual updates on Community Asset Transfers based on the Resources element.