At an early stage, it’s important to become familiar with the assets you want to take on, regardless of whether it’s an asset you’ve been using for many years or a new asset you’re hoping to take over.
You should undertake a ‘site appraisal’ before making any decision on whether to take on the asset or not.
The site appraisal process will help you determine if the asset is fit for purpose and will highlight any current or future issues which may require negotiation before your organisation commits to the asset transfer.
Any issues should be discussed with the local authority as it may be possible to agree that certain repairs are made before the transfer, that protection is provided against certain failures or that the local authority retains responsibility for specific repairs.
To help you with the site appraisal, ask the local authority to provide you with information on the site including any condition reports, risk assessments, asbestos surveys or registers, record of replacements, essential works and maintenance schedules, utilities, and boundaries.
You may also want to seek the help of suitable expert external advisors (or any professionals you may have linked to your organisation) to support you with your site appraisal and provide you with an independent view.
Following the site appraisal, if too many risks are flagged, and the asset has not been managed correctly, it may not be beneficial or financially viable to take on the asset.
While some risks may have to be inherited as part of the process, it’s important to consider these issues and risks and whether these are acceptable and are affordable for your organisation.
To help, you may want to seek the views of organisations who have been through the Community Asset Transfer process and ask them about their experiences. Use this opportunity to find out about the potential challenges, issues, things to be aware of and questions you need to ask.
Your local authority or national governing body should be able to point you towards organisations with experience or provide you with support and guidance, if they have been through the process with others.