“Community Control: Gift or Liability?”

Community Control: Gift or Liability? – the implications of the Community Empowerment Bill

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Organised in conjunction with PAS

Key Points:

The process needs to be led by the community and developed organically, it cannot be forced or driven by budget imperatives, it will take time and patience by all parties.
Project champions who are enthusiastic and well informed are often key to the success, however there is concern about what happens when they are no longer involved.
Common Good assets are often involved and this can be a very complex situation.
There needs to be appropriate ongoing support for marginalised and less capable communities.
Other public bodies, not just Local Authorities, will be involved and are perceived to be less ready for this change.
Information, funding and access to expertise need to be in place to assist communities to take advantage of the legislation.
The importance of ownership; this empowers owners to think about managing for the future – those with a vested interest will do the best they can for the future of their place
Displaying community support for a project may be challenging if there are differing views, opinions and tensions. This is likely to be more challenging in cities than small towns.
Tools are required to evaluate ‘preventative spend’ benefits – potential benefits represent much more than merely a financial ‘bottom-line’ transaction.