Local communities will get the freedom to sell, rent or share community-owned assets bought with central Government money, such as council buildings, shops and business parks, Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark has announced, following the launch of consultations on new community rights to challenge local services and buy vital community assets, attached to the Localism Bill.
Ministers are ending rigid ‘clawback rights’ that stopped community and voluntary groups selling or changing the use of community land or buildings that were funded by specific historic Government grant programmes.
This change will affect four historic grant programmes: the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB); the Urban Programme; the City Challenge regime and Inner Area Grants.
Ministers are also urging councils, voluntary groups and social enterprises to let them know of other historic grant programmes where clawback rights have been applied in perpetuity and are preventing communities from making best use of their assets.
“We’re ending rigid central restrictions that stopped communities from maximising the potential of their public land and buildings by clawing back central funding. Ending clawback rights will put communities back in charge of community assets and gives them the freedom and flexibility to prioritise their current needs over dated central diktats,” stressed Clark.
See the consultations, both of which close on 3 May, at:
Communities News/Right to Challenge: LINK
Communities News/Right to Buy: LINK
Search Planning Portal: LINK
Communitites News: LINK 1
Communitites News : LINK 2
