Disused city buildings could be handed over to voluntary groups

Wakefield Council is the latest authority to join the Advancing Assets for Communities programme, which is Government funded.

The council is working with community organisations and voluntary groups with a view to handing over land and buildings it no longer needs, which could potentially save the council thousands on building maintenance bills.

And in some circumstances it could mean volunteers running some services, such as local libraries.

Officers are already in talks with community groups, businesses and parish councils over the future of some libraries threatened with closure across Wakefield.

Eighteen offers of interest have been received from groups ranging from church organisations to community groups.

The asset transfer scheme could also lead to a community trust taking over the former Standbridge Lane primary school building at Kettlethorpe.

Standbridge Lane Community Trust has expressed an interest in using the building, although the council has stressed that the school building transfer is at a very early stage.

A second project in Wakefield could see Voluntary Action Wakefield, along with other voluntary and charity groups, moving into a single building in the city to create a "community hub" which will allow groups to share costs and expertise.

The council's corporate director for communities, Andrew Balchin, said signing up to the asset transfer was an exciting opportunity for communities to run their own affairs while at the same time saving the council money at a time of budget cuts.

"We have heard a lot about the Big Society and communities doing more for themselves, if the council has buildings or land which aren't being used, they can be used by local communities who don't want to see them idle.If community groups have great ideas, we don't want to stand in their way."

The council is now working with the Development Trusts Association to see how community and other groups can be supported to take their ideas forward, although it is unlikely this support will involve council money.

"The main thing is making sure that organisations have access to help on how to put together business plans, raise money, properly manage a building and arrange insurance and so on," said Mr Balchin.

He added: "This is a commitment from the council to give community organisations throughout the district an opportunity to transform land and buildings into vibrant community spaces delivering much-needed local services."

Sophie Michelena, the Development Trusts Association officer for Yorkshire, said: "Community asset transfer must be a crucial aspect of any localism agenda, as a key way to empower communities through local, independent ownership of public buildings. The council is taking such a positive approach to asset transfer that we should be able to see very significant progress by March 2011."

The asset transfer programme has already supported 91 councils to develop plans to hand over buildings and land.

The other councils include Leeds, Kirklees, Bradford and Calderdale.

In Kirklees, the authority launched a website this month, www.whownsmyneighbourhood.org.uk, which will make it easier for residents and community groups to make use of disused land in their area.

The website is part of a project run by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, called Make it Local, which aims to help local authorities make use of data they hold to create web-based services which benefit the community.