Local authorities will have many reasons for considering a Community Asset Transfer. Some of these reasons will be practical, such as a lack of available funding to support the ongoing upkeep of an asset, but others may relate to meeting strategic objectives and responding to local policies and issues.
Understanding the local authority’s asset transfer policy and the need and priorities for sport and physical activity in the local area should help shape your organisation's project and your response to a tender process.
Strategies to review include:
- Asset transfer policy. This may be published on the local authority's website or can be found by searching the name of your local authority and community asset transfer.
- Sport and physical activity strategy, sports facilities and playing pitch strategies. These are often published on local authority websites.
- National governing bodies' strategies. Available online or by consulting with your national governing body.
Once you understand the local authority’s strategic priorities, the needs and priorities for the area and have a vision agreed with your members and the wider community, your project team should start setting project objectives aligned to these.
These could include improvements to an asset, protecting the asset for ongoing community access, increased participation in sport and physical activity (including by particular groups within the local community) or generating more income enabling you to develop and grow.