Making the most of council assets

OLDHAM Council’s cabinet is to consider plans aimed at ensuring residents get the best use out of council-owned buildings and land — including a better chance to bid for sites put up for sale.

The plans include a streamlined process for transferring council assets to community groups and follow Government moves to give communities a better chance of bidding for sites seen as community assets, including private property such as pubs.

The cabinet move also coincides with a recent inquiry about officially listing Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park as a community asset.

Value
The cabinet meets tonight and will discuss a new policy to ensure assets are used in a way which represents the greatest possible future value to the borough. It has drawn up a Co-operative Use of Assets Policy and Procedure offering more flexible options to community groups wanting to use council-owned assets.

Voluntary Action Oldham, which co-ordinates community groups, will also give guidance to groups.

The moves are in keeping with Government “localism” laws and the council’s own co-operative aims.

Councillor Jean Stretton, cabinet member for co-operatives and neighbourhoods, said: “This new policy sets out how Oldham Council can ‘do its bit’ by enabling community groups to use the assets that we manage on their behalf.

“The proposal sets out how our co-operative approach will recognise and encourage the great work they do by making assets more easily available to them.

“That could be as simple as enabling community groups to use a room at the Civic Centre for a meeting, for example.

“Subject to cabinet approval, the policy will also make the process of transferring community assets much simpler.

“We’ve already done this successfully at Springhead Community Centre and in Sholver where the Fulwood Rangers took on responsibility for a piece of land to maximise opportunities for community use.

“Tough economic times make it even more important that we make the best future use of our assets in a way that is sustainable and of mutual benefit.”

Under the community asset listing system, groups and individuals can apply to have land or buildings registered, regardless of private or public ownership.

If a listed site is ever put up for sale then they can bid to buy it — but there are no guarantees that they will succeed.
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