By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham City Council has sought to allay fears a new policy to determine how community groups use certain buildings is “an attempt to effectively sell them off”.
The Labour-run council says its new Community Asset Policy, approved at an Executive Board meeting on February 21, is simply a “framework” to create a fair approach to how community groups use buildings in the future.
It has not, up until now, had a formal policy covering the leasing of buildings to community groups.
In the past groups had been dealt with on an “ad-hoc basis”.
The policy sets out criteria for eligibility and what a group would need to demonstrate to be considered for taking over a building.
Before any transfer is considered as an option, the council says it will weigh up the options as to whether its financial and strategic objectives could be better achieved through the sale of buildings to provide income.
Negotiations would begin at market rent prices, before any social value is taken into account for a potential discount.
Cllr David Mellen (Lab), the leader of the council, said: “For some time there have been a number of buildings that the city council own that are occupied on a various basis by community and voluntary groups, for which there is not a firm, clear and transparent structure as to how we let or lease those buildings.
“This seeks to bring about a policy which does that, that brings clarity and a framework through which we can talk with community and voluntary groups on the best way forward.”
Opposition councillors however raised concerns the policy had caused anxiety among groups, particularly groups using some of the 38 community centres in the city.
Cllr Kevin Clarke, leader of the Nottingham Independents opposition, said: “I think we need to be very careful of losing the volunteer groups and charities making the change, especially community centres should they be dragged on-board.
“We cannot in all honesty expect local volunteer groups to take responsibility of rents and financial demands being put on them, while giving their time and services free of charge.”
Cllr Mellen responded to say the policy would not threaten community centres.
“Community centres, because they have a small grant given to them to help with heating and cleaning costs, are all held on a similar basis and this policy will not threaten those,” he said.
Section 5 of the policy details how assets could be considered for potential transfer to groups, while Section 6 sets out the assets that are by exception excluded from consideration for asset transfer.
In this section the policy says if the asset “is required for service delivery”, it may be excluded.
Where the council considers community centres to be held for operational or service delivery purposes, then they will be excluded.
Cllr Andrew Rule (Con), leader of the Nottingham Conservatives, added: “I welcome the clarification on that point because since the agenda for this meeting has come out I have had the community centres in my ward thinking this is an attempt to effectively sell them off.
“They needs to be a really clear communications piece that comes out saying it is not the case and it is, as you say, a framework for how we deal with future scenarios.”
For groups using community centres, the council is dealing with them through individual reviews of their rents.
Last year the council said it will be increasing rents at community centres to fair market rates due to its “very difficult financial position”.
Community centres which are no longer needed for operational or service use can be put up for asset transfer, it is understood.
This itself has prompted calls for help from some groups, including Karam Yog which runs the Nottingham Teaching College from the Hyson Green Community Centre.
Roy Kennedy and Peter Foulkes Mills, trustees of the Nottingham Teaching College, attended the meeting where their concerns were voiced by Cllr Clarke.
Speaking afterwards they said they had received an eviction letter, because they are unable to take on the running of the site, which costs up to £60,000 per year.
Their concerns were passed on by Cllr Clarke to Sajeeda Rose, the director for growth and city development, who will now take a look at their circumstances.
The policy will now be adopted at Full Council on March 6.
