Land and buildings for community organisations

We want to support local communities to thrive. Our Community Asset Transfer policy allows us to lease land and buildings if:

• surplus buildings are available, and
• there is an identified need for community property in the area

The policy allows us to lease selected property to community organisations at a reduced rent. In return, they deliver identified social and economic value within the community.

Assets available

There are no assets currently available.

Eligibility

We will consider community asset transfers for not-for-profit organisations, including:

• community groups
• registered charities
• social enterprises

Contact us for advice about whether your organisation is eligible.

What to consider

Leasing land and buildings can be very helpful for your organisation. It can also be a significant challenge. Think carefully about whether you need an asset to deliver your organisation’s mission.

You may be entitled to free advice and support to complete your expression of interest and/or full business plan. One Walsall is an independent registered charity. They provide impartial information, advice and support to local not-for-profit organisations.

Responsibilities

Leasing an asset is a long-term commitment and can be a complex matter. Think about how you will maintain the asset. Work out who will be responsible for managing its upkeep over several years. There will also be legal requirements for your organisation. You will need to make sure the building is safe, properly maintained and insured. You will also need to make sure visitors are kept safe.

An asset can be a significant boost to sustainability. With the right plan and skills in place, it can help generate income for your organisation and sustain and expand the activities you offer.

Costs

We won’t cover any costs during a community asset transfer, for example legal fees and costs of maintenance after the transfer.

Application process

The process is competitive and timescales can vary. It usually takes between 9 and 12 months. We'll let you know the timescales for the asset you're applying for.

Advertisement and open days

We will advertise opportunities on this page.

Adverts will be open for 6 weeks. We will hold open days in weeks 2, 3 and 5. Details of open days will be in the One Walsall newsletter.

Express your interest

You can express an interest during the 6 week advertisement period.

Complete a form and send it to CommunityAssetTransfer@walsall.gov.uk

We will let you know within 10 days that we have received your form.

We only consider proposals for use of the whole asset. You can partner with other organisations to submit a joint expression of interest, but there will need to be a lead organisation.

Shortlisting

We will assess all expressions of interest against a set criteria. You can see the criteria we use on the expression of interest form. We will shortlist up to 6 applications. We will let you know within 2 weeks of the deadline whether we are shortlisting yours.

Submit a full business plan

If you are shortlisted, we will ask you to submit a full business plan. You will have 16 weeks to complete this.

Our board will assess all full business plans. We may ask you for more details at this point.

Selection

We aim to select the successful applicant within 8 weeks of the closing date for full business plans. We will let you know if timescales vary. We will tell you our final decision.

Completing the transfer

If you are successful, we will prepare the legal documentation with you. We may make arrangements for ongoing monitoring and support. Once the transfer is complete you are responsible for the asset as agreed in the transfer terms.

Appeals and feedback

There is no right to appeal a decision at any stage of the process.

You can make a compliment, comment or complaint.