Lichfield District Council agrees in principle to transferring assets to community groups

With the threat of local government reorganisation in the near future, it is hoped that the process could be finished by the start of the next municipal year.

Now the decision has been approved, the council is expected to produce a list of assets that could be transferred to community groups, parish councils or trusts to protect them into the future. Criteria has already been established on whether an asset could be transferred.

Decisions on whether to make an asset transfer will be made on the basis of 14 criteria, including whether it provides a benefit to the community; whether it supports the aims and priorities of the council; and the value of the asset.

Community assets such as Lichfield City Football Club, Redwood Park Community Centre, Burntwood Dragons and Lichfield Garrick Theatre are amongst those up for discussion.

Council leader Councillor Doug Pullen said: “We all know local government reorganisation is on us. That has raised the inevitable question of who is best placed to manage the assets that our community cherish and use and raises the obvious question of what future unitary authority may wish to do with those, given the fact, frankly, they will be under different pressures than a district council is under.

“The idea is we take community assets that we think may be at risk in the future and we pass them on to either the voluntary sector, parish councils or newly established trusts to protect them for many years to come - also without hamstringing any future local authority as well.”

The decision was unanimously approved by the cabinet at Lichfield District Council. Councillor Andrew Smith said the decision ‘made sense’ and he has previously supported the move to transfer the assets to community groups.

He said: “For me having organisations or even a parish council being in charge of an asset that they are closer to, maybe even care a bit more passionately about, they’ve got more experience, they are more focused on it, I think that makes loads of sense."