Community-led spaces

A guide for local authorities

and community groups
Published in 2010 by the Commission for
Architecture and the Built Environment and the
Asset Transfer Unit

Graphic design: Draught Associates

Printed by Blackmore Ltd
Cover image: Gambier House, Islington, London
© Jane Sebire

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may

be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, copied
or transmitted without the prior written consent
of the publisher except that the material may be
photocopied for non-commercial purposes without
permission from the publisher.

CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture,

urban design and public space. As a public body,
we encourage policymakers to create places that
work for people. We help local planners apply
national design policy and advise developers
and architects, persuading them to put people’s
needs first. We show public sector clients how to
commission projects that meet the needs of their
users. And we seek to inspire the public to demand
more from their buildings and spaces. Advising,
influencing and inspiring, we work to create well-
designed, welcoming places.

The Asset Transfer Unit helps to empower local

people and organisations to transform land and
buildings into vibrant community enterprise spaces,
whilst supporting the development of a thriving
civil society. We are the UK’s established centre
of excellence providing expert advice, guidance
and support concerning the transfer of land and
buildings from the public sector into mutual and
community ownership and management. The Unit
is led and managed by the Development Trusts
Association – the UK’s leading network
of community enterprise practitioners – in
association with Community Matters and the
Local Government Association. It is funded by
Communities and Local Government.

CABE
1 Kemble Street
London WC2B 4AN
T 020 7070 6700
F 020 7070 6777
E [email protected]
www.cabe.org.uk

Asset Transfer Unit

c/o The Development Trusts Association
33 Corsham Street, London, N1 6DR
T: 0845 234 4564
F: 0845 458 8337 
E: [email protected]

This document is available

in alternative formats on
request from the publisher.
Contents

Introduction 4

1 Why transfer public open space assets? 5

2 Looking at the bigger picture 7

3 Understanding public open space assets 9

4 The business case for transfer 19

Setting out what you want 19
Governance and accountability 22
Finance 27
Communications 34

5 Resources 38

Case studies

Bankside Open Spaces Trust 10

Croydon Council green spaces 12
Warley Woods Community Trust 16
Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust 20
Heeley Millennium Park 24
Tarvin Community Woodland Trust 28
Nene Park Trust 32
Park View 4U 36

3
Introduction

Well-designed and well-managed open spaces bring for instance, for community enterprises to provide new
communities together. Research shows that nine out sources of income for spaces. We look at this in this
of 10 people use parks and green spaces and the guide among other income options.
higher the quality of the green space, the more likely
it is to be used.1 The first section in this guide explores some of the
advantages of transferring public open spaces to
There is a long history of communities collectively community groups. The implications are considered in
owning public open space in England: many villages, the second section, ‘Looking at the bigger picture’. Open
for instance, have ancient rights to their common land. spaces function as part of a network that benefits people
However, most are owned and managed by local beyond the immediate locality. It is critical that the role of
authorities or other public bodies. a public space within its wider green network is properly
understood, regardless of who owns and manages it.
Many neighbourhood groups, such as residents’
associations or friends’ groups, already influence The variety of types of spaces, and their specific
how their local spaces are managed. And many characteristics and uses, provide different opportunities
already provide hands-on, practical support through and constraints for community groups that want to take
volunteering. A recent CABE survey found that on over their management and ownership. The third section,
average, volunteers provide the equivalent of three ‘Understanding public space assets’ explores these
full-time members of staff each year for public sector issues drawing on practical examples, from turning
organisations working in parks and open spaces.2 neglected land on housing estates into community
gardens, to exploiting the opportunities for social
With the right knowledge and resources, community enterprise by the waterside.
groups can become even more actively involved,
particularly in underused or neglected spaces, either Above all, in considering the transfer of any asset,
by managing the space themselves or by licensing or a good business case is essential, and the fourth
leasing the space from the local authority and taking section explores objectives, governance, finance
ownership of it for the benefit of the community. This kind and communications.
of asset transfer of public spaces from public bodies
to community groups is on the rise. A recent survey of Throughout the guide we provide checklists for both
local authorities, in autumn 2009, suggested there were local authorities and community groups. The variety and
1,000 transfers under way in England. Parks and playing creativity of approaches to asset transfer is explored
fields were the second most popular asset transferred through eight case study examples. And we outline the
over the previous two years – 16 per cent of the total.3 resources available, such as guidance produced by
the Asset Transfer Unit on transferring such assets as
The law already gives local authorities and some other heritage buildings and swimming pools into community
public bodies the power to transfer land – where it ownership and management; and guidance from CABE
promotes social, economic and environmental well- and others on improving the design and management of
being – for less than its market value. Permission from public open space.
the secretary of state needs to be sought if a proposed
discount exceeds £2 million.4 Our guide is an introduction to the main issues
surrounding transfer of public space assets. Although
There are specific challenges in managing a public primarily focusing on the issues around transferring
open space in particular with regard to its funding and spaces from local authorities to community groups,
maintenance. While buildings can be let or hired out the guide is also of relevance to other public bodies
to generate income, it can be hard to raise enough considering transferring their spaces.
regular income from the use of a public space to cover
the costs of maintaining it to a decent standard. The
economies of scale that local authorities can achieve by
maintaining a network of spaces may be lost if individual
spaces are taken over by community groups. So new
models of finance will need to be developed, with the
right mix of funding to ensure viability. There is potential,

4
1 Why transfer public space assets?

Many of the solutions to today’s environmental

and social challenges – from adapting to
climate change to improving the quality of

Northala Fields, London © FoRM Associates

neighbourhood spaces – can be rooted in local
communities. CABE research has shown that
there is a shortage of decent green space in
deprived areas5 which can be remedied where
local residents take control of derelict or
under-used spaces.6 Long-lasting solutions
respond to local needs and aspirations. They tap
into a wide cross-section of the community, to
bring new perspectives to old problems and find
fresh approaches.

Some local authorities are considering transferring

public open spaces as a way of reducing their
costs. In a time of public sector budget cutting,
the added value of community involvement will be
increasingly important to complement reduced
state funding.

Unlike local authority budgets for open spaces

which are not protected, community organisations
can, and do, dedicate their resources to the
spaces in their care. Independent trusts, which
can generate their own income, such as the Milton
Keynes Parks Trust, are better able to survive ‘Volunteer time spent
economic downturns and maintain a high-quality in parks and green
network of public spaces. And we know that
volunteer time spent in parks and green space is space is worth
worth between £22 million and £28 million across between £22 million
England each year.7
and £28 million across
Many of the benefits of transferring land to England each year’
community groups exist precisely because the
people who live closest to the space care most
deeply about it, and they usually spot opportunities
or problems first. Transfer can therefore generate
better quality spaces, which respond to local
demand, for instance for food growing. It can give
community groups greater involvement in shaping
their local environment, directly involving them in 1 Community green: using green space to tackle
local decision making or simply making better use inequality and improve health, CABE, 2010
of a neglected site. It can open up new land for 2 Green space skills 2009 National employer survey
findings, CABE 2010
community use: even temporary or “meanwhile”
3 Asset Tran­sfer Unit Evaluation: Baseline Report
uses8, which don’t require the organisational for the Development Trusts Association, SQW
stability of full asset transfer, can give people good Consulting, 2009
hands-on experience and generate enthusiasm for 4 Circular 06/03: Local Government Act 1972 general
disposal consent (England) 2003
greater community control.
5 Community green: using local spaces to tackle
inequality and improve health, CABE, 2010
Critically, transfer can boost local employment and 6 It’s our space, CABE, 2007
improve skills. In particular, as more and different 7 Green space employers survey, CABE, 2010

5
groups get involved, it may in time help address
the national skills gaps that exist in specialist
professions such as horticulture and landscape
design.

It can also generate more effective working

partnerships between the local authority and
residents. The experience of community-led open
space improvement projects funded through the
‘Transforming your space’ lottery programme,
for instance, found that people learned how their
council worked and became more trusting and
open to dialogue. The council gained a better
understanding of community groups and their
ability to take responsibility for improving the
local environment. Community groups became
stronger and more confident, with many groups
adopting a can-do attitude, gaining credibility and
Natural England / Doorstep Greens

raising local aspirations.

8
9 The Meanwhile Project has provided advice, guidance and networking to over
700 owners, local authorities and potential occupiers, including the development
of a Meanwhile Lease. The Meanwhile Project aims to expand the ‘meanwhile use’
of redundant land and buildings until they can be brought back into regular com-
mercial or public use.
10
11
12 www.buckscc.gov.uk/sites/bcc/parks/country_parks.page

6
2 Looking at the bigger picture

Parks, green spaces, public squares, streets, received a grant of £25,000 from the Meanwhile
allotments, woodlands and waterways all link up Project, which will make a significant contribution to
to create networks of public spaces that provide the creation of the Bradford Urban Garden, or BUG.10
benefits to local communities beyond just those
who use the individual spaces. Any plans or policies developed for transferring
public space assets, and any proposals for individual
They can provide accessible green routes for site transfers, should ensure that those groups that
walking and cycling including safe routes to school normally have less influence on decisions are actively
for children; reduce the urban heat island effect in involved. These include young women with children;
summer through cooling and shading; help filter people with disabilities; travelling communities; and
polluted air; absorb and store storm water; supply some minority ethnic groups. This can be considered
biomass or biofuels to directly replace fossil fuels; as part of an equality impact assessment which
increase local food production; and encourage public bodies, including local authorities, now have
biodiversity and provide corridors for wildlife to move a duty to complete.11
through urban areas. Critically, they can boost the
local economy by improving people’s perceptions of
an area, encouraging business and visitors.

Local authorities and communities should consider Buckinghamshire County Council is taking a
how to protect and maximise these broader benefits. strategic approach to managing and financing
Most urban local authorities in England have already its green spaces and country parks.12 It invited
mapped their open space networks as part of the initial expressions of interest in managing the
process of developing open space strategies, and parks and green spaces from organisations
have a good understanding of their contribution including community groups, environmental
to this bigger picture. Many have also developed charities and trusts. The management models
agreed standards for open space quality, quantity explored by the council were:
and accessibility as part of their local development
framework, after consulting local people. continuing to have the parks and green spaces
managed by the council, but with greater
The Asset Transfer Unit has found that over a quarter freedoms, for instance by setting up a separate
of local authorities have a dedicated community asset trading account with the ability to carry money
transfer strategy, related policies and procedures, over from one financial year to another
although to date few include guidance specifically transferring green spaces to other public sector
on public spaces. But together, these strategies can organisations,such as parish councils
inform an approach to transfer that ensures the needs changing to a public sector ‘shared management’
of local people are met effectively across an area. model, for example, by collaborating with other
local authorities
Many local authorities are considering alternative transferring spaces to an environmental not-for-
approaches to managing and financing their public profit trust (local or national in scale)
spaces and testing a range of options. Some a combination of the above.
authorities are considering alternative management
arrangements for all, some, or just a few of the Market testing suggested that no one single
spaces in their care. Involving communities in public management model was likely to fit every park and
space management can range from full transfer of green space. Instead, a mixture of models was
ownership, to shared management with the local preferred, reflecting the range, scale and diversity of
authority retaining some responsibilities (such as the spaces and the different maintenance regimes
for litter collection, street cleansing or grass cutting), that were necessary to care for them. Maintaining
to interim community uses.9 For example, Fabric quality will be important and it is using the Green
Bradford’s arts development organisation, is working Flag Award standard as a benchmark in some
with Bradford City Council and retail developer instances. The council is considering the options
Westfield to develop a temporary use for the planned and it is expected to make a decision on the future
Broadway site in the centre of the city. Fabric of its parks in early 2011.

7
 What local authorities should think
about when exploring transfer

Langley Park Country Park, Buckinghamshire © Andy Stevens, Friends of Langley Park
Establish whether you already have a
dedicated community asset transfer strategy,
and whether it covers public open space
assets. You should try to augment existing policies
and procedures so that all expressions of interest
from community groups are treated in the same
manner. As a local authority, you can request
support from the Asset Transfer Unit if you do not
already have a strategy in place.

Consider the feasibility of transferring sites.

This may include their condition and suitability,
the long-term effect of transfer on the quality
of space, including future maintenance and
management costs, and the level of community
interest. You should involve representatives of
the voluntary and community sector and a cross
section of community groups in developing
strategies and policies.

Make sure that options exist for different

levels of community involvement. These could
range from full ownership of a space, to friends
groups and/or volunteering opportunities. Ensure
that there is a long-term strategy for community
development and support.

Consider the implications of transfer on all

sections of the community, in particular any
likely positive or negative effects that transfer may
have on particular groups of people. You have a
legal duty to ensure that you conduct an equalities
impact assessment of your policy, and publish a
plan to mitigate any associated risks.

Check how your various asset transfer options

could affect your other policies, for instance on
climate change adaptation, flooding, transport,
access, health, culture and education.

8
3 Understanding public open space assets

There are many different types of public open protect their value to wildlife. Natural England advises
space. Each one is physically unique, of course, on natural landscapes and its ‘nature on the map’
and reflects both its locality and community. They website shows the sites that are designated across
may include a mix of different land types and the country.14
uses. Playgrounds and waterways, wildlife areas,
allotments and gardens, parks and cemeteries Many local nature reserves are managed directly
make up a rich mosaic of public space. In addition by local authorities, and a growing number are
to the established public spaces, there are also managed by local volunteer groups, friends’ groups
many spaces that could be opened up for or organisations like Wildlife Trusts, in agreement with
temporary public use or unused sites that could the local authority.
have public access.
There are also many small, undesignated local
Although the majority of public open spaces are wild areas that are of great local importance. In
owned by local authorities or other public bodies Northamptonshire, the county council has worked with
such as the Environment Agency, there are other, many organisations to help create 80 pocket parks,
often complex, patterns of public, private and in locations from town centres to quiet villages.15 The
voluntary sector ownership. Even with public scheme was the inspiration for Doorstep Greens, a
land, responsibilities can fall between different community-led regeneration programme that provides
departments such as highways, housing and parks. important places for people to enjoy the natural
Some land is held in trust for the benefit of the environment close to home.16
public and some is protected as common land.
Many parks and gardens are valuable heritage sites National charities that have specialist knowledge
that may be listed. English Heritage keeps a record of natural space management, such as the Wildlife
of all listed landscapes and must be consulted Trusts17 and BTCV18, can support community
on any proposals for a site.13 In rural areas many involvement.
parish and town councils already own and manage
public spaces with a high degree of community
involvement. Playing fields and sports facilities
The quality of a space will affect how well it is used. Playing fields and sports facilities are often supported
Entering for a Green Flag Award is a good way of by existing groups that could take on a greater role.
comparing your site against the national standard For example, there are 2,500 affiliated bowling clubs
for parks and green spaces and getting local and in England. Many local authorities have successfully
national recognition for your efforts. Community- devolved management of outdoor sports facilities
managed sites can apply for a Green Pennant to such clubs and community groups, which has
Award to recognise a level of quality has been helped to attract outside investment. Some facilities
achieved. See the Warley Woods community Trust have income-generating potential. In Bury in Greater
and Tarvin Community Woodland Trust case studies Manchester, 70 per cent of outdoor sports facilities are
(p16 and p28) for details. self-managed by local sports and community groups.
The resulting efficiency savings for the council have
This section considers some of the different types been ploughed back into improving sports facilities.
of public space, highlighting issues to consider and
where to go to for help. Registering as a community amateur sports club can
bring you benefits such as 80 per cent mandatory
business rate relief. You can also raise funds from
Natural spaces
13 www.english-heritage.org.uk
Almost all public open spaces feature natural 14 www.natureonthemap.org.uk
elements that benefit wildlife, which in turn can 15 www.pocketparks.com
attract volunteers and funding. Some are designated 16
as national nature reserves, local nature reserves, or 17 www.wildlifetrusts.org
sites of special scientific interest, to recognise and 18 www2.btcv.org.uk

9
Case study
Bankside Open Spaces Trust,
London

Gardening clubs bring different parts of

the community together and help keep the
spaces well maintained
© Bankside Open Spaces Trust

10
How council and community have come together to
inject new life into local spaces

In the 19th century, Bankside, in the London Borough using pictures and objects to illustrate ideas,
of Southwark, was a squalid area packed with slums. demonstrating change with ropes and poles on site
In 1887 the social reformer Octavia Hill established rather than with a map in a meeting. Isolated people
a tiny site, Red Cross Garden, as an ‘open air sitting from different cultures have overcome shyness and
room for the tired inhabitants of Southwark’. However, come into contact with their neighbours through
by the end of the 20th century it was run-down and simple gardening projects such as planting a hedge.
underused. In 2005, the local charity Bankside
Open Spaces Trust (BOST), with support from local Ideally BOST would like to secure an asset, such
people, secured funding to pay for its restoration. It as a building, that could be used to generate long-
continues to manage the site today. term income. However, despite BOST’s good track
record, lots of ideas, and support from many within
The original design of the garden had been lost, so Southwark Council, this has proved challenging.
the improvements mixed restoring old features and
adding new ones. The garden now includes a pond, Yet BOST has become a vehicle for the Bankside
19th century-style planting, ecological planting, a community to act as a client and influence the
play area, mosaics and a maypole. BOST raised quality of local green space, and it encourages high
the money for the work from the Heritage Lottery aspirations, including high-quality design. Typically,
Fund and Southwark Council, from which the site for each project, its consultation identifies people’s
is leased. The gardening is done by volunteers. The needs and these are written into a design brief that a
cost of co-ordinating the work comes from a mixture steering group reviews and approves. A design team
of grants, particularly from Southwark Council and is appointed and, once the design is developed in
the Sainsbury family charitable trust. detail, landscape contractors are selected.

BOST was established in 2000 to foster a sense BOST’s board of trustees is drawn from the local
of community through the protection, care and residential and business communities. The trust
development of local green spaces. In addition to keeps everyone informed of project development
Red Cross Garden, it runs Waterloo Green, and, and activities taking place in its network of green
again in partnership with Southwark, eight other spaces. Working as a trust to improve many green
green spaces. BOST also facilitates temporary spaces, not just one, has benefits: the organisation
spaces like the urban orchard in nearby Union Street. can build and sustain knowledge and skills,
relationships can be built over time, and
At Waterloo Green, BOST found that the space had resources can be shared across sites.
very strict covenants that made it difficult to use to
generate income, including rules that prevented it Lessons learned
from having any structures on the space.
If asset transfer is to be successful, the relevant
Despite BOST’s success, finding money to pay people in the council need to be enthusiastic and
for core costs and the day-to-day maintenance supportive. It will be far more difficult if they are not.
of spaces is difficult. Helen Firminger, the trust’s
director, says: ‘the largest portion of our funding Taking on the management of open spaces is hard
comes from grants. Most of these grants are for work: trustees and staff need commitment and
involving people who are marginalised. It is very imagination.
unusual to be funded for managing open space —
grant makers understandably tend to think that the Some green spaces, such as millennium greens,
council should be doing that. It’s the people-based have very strict covenants that make it difficult to
work that funders are interested in.’ use the space to generate income.

Running projects on housing estates and in parks

after school has proven the most effective way of www.bost.org.uk
bringing a diverse community together. This includes www.unionstreetorchard.org.uk

11
Case study
Croydon Council green spaces,
London

Croydon cemetery is managed in partnership

with The Shaw Trust, providing employment
opportunities for local people and an
improvement in horticultural standards
partnership with The Shaw Trust
© Croydon Bereavement Services in

12
How a local authority is taking a strategic approach
to asset transfer

In the London Borough of Croydon, a strategy Croydon learned the value of good internal
was agreed for the transfer of surplus public communication and a shared commitment within the
assets, including green spaces, from the council to council to the process. Given that the sites being
community groups. considered were green spaces in council-managed
housing estates, it was vital to include the facilities
The strategy for transferring Croydon’s assets was management teams in the discussions.
agreed in 2007 by the borough’s ‘strengthening
communities partnership’ — a sub-group of the During the process of developing its strategy the
local strategic partnership that works to promote partnership arrived at seven key principles:
community involvement in the borough.
It is desirable and beneficial to transfer public
For the purpose of the strategy, surplus assets assets to community management and ownership
were defined as buildings or spaces that were where appropriate.
no longer used or that did not have a significant
redevelopment value. Asset transfer projects must be financially viable and
not leave communities with a liability that would then
At the time work began on the project, the council have to be returned.
assumed that the community assets that might be
transferred would be buildings. However, Croydon The maximum level of community control of
reviewed its green spaces and, as a result of strong transferred assets should be allowed, taking
interest from local people, it became clear that account of wider regeneration programmes, legal
public spaces should also be considered. The constraints and planning obligations.
council developed its interest in transferring green
spaces on council-owned housing estates to the A full assessment of risk to all stakeholders should
communities that lived on those estates. Echez be done to minimise and apportion risk.
Ubaka, senior policy officer at Croydon, explains: ‘A
lot of these spaces are land-locked between estates. Where necessary, support will be provided by
Some are used by people so it is a matter of finding public agencies to community groups to build
out who is using them and if they’d be interested.’ capacity to manage assets including, supporting
the development of new organisations.
The council’s asset transfer project came about
thanks to support from the Development Trusts Public bodies will support community organisations
Association’s advancing assets for communities in exploring opportunities for new sources of funding
programme. to support asset transfers.

The plan is that the council would pay around Public sector bodies will explicitly include the
£2,000 per asset for a feasibility study to consider transfer of assets to the community in their property
its condition, accessibility, location, use, potential and asset management strategies.
for community management, investment required,
and potential sources of funding. If the asset was
transferred to a community group, support would www.croydon.gov.uk
be provided by Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA),
the local centre for voluntary services. Community
groups would have been expected to maintain
the site themselves and no money would have
been transferred along with the site. However, the
council’s funding to CVA is being reduced and it
is not yet clear what the implications will be for the
asset transfer project. The council hopes to have
begun work on two pilot projects by summer 2011.

13
individuals under Gift Aid, meaning that you can Playgrounds and play spaces
claim up to £28 in tax for every £100 donated, and
profits derived from property income are tax exempt. There has in recent years been much public
To date 6,000 clubs have signed up, meaning more investment in children’s play spaces across the
money is kept in the club for investing in assets country, with many including more ‘natural’ play
and activities. spaces that emphasise interaction with naturally
occurring features. There is also a history of
School playing fields are protected from community involvement in the creation and
development by planning law, and any proposed management of adventure playgrounds, often on
changes to playing fields need to involve Sport under-used land, with many winning awards such as
England. Transferring ownership of some playing the Glamis adventure playground in Tower Hamlets in
fields to a charitable trust is one way of ensuring they east London.24 Guidance on design and management
have greater protection from development. Fields in is provided by Play England in its ‘Design for Play’25
Trust can advise on this.19 guide. Its ‘Playful Communities toolkit’26 can help for
anyone wanting to get involved in creating, improving
and maintaining play spaces. It is particularly aimed at
Community gardens and food growing community groups.

There is increasing demand from communities for If you are planning to take on a new or existing
places to grow food. In researching the idea of a play area, staffed or un-staffed, you will need a
national community land bank the Federation of basic understanding of the regulations and legal
City Farms and Community Gardens has found obligations, including keeping children safe, health
the demand for land for food growing far exceeds and safety, insurance, registration and inspection of
supply. The waiting list for allotments nationally is staffed play provision. The Managing Risk in Play
around 100,000.20 Food growing can be a great way Provision: Implementation guide provides guidance
to engage people who may not normally get involved, on health and safety, insurance and risk. Further
as well as improving people’s health. Gardening and advice is available from local play associations, your
food growing may also be appropriate on temporary local authority and the Play Safety Forum.27
sites. For example, the London Wildlife Trust has
set up temporary allotments on a site awaiting
development behind the British Museum in London.
Spaces around social housing estates
A partnership between the trust and the UK Centre
for Medical Research and Innovation to promote Social landlords provide more than four million homes
food growing and support biodiversity relies on a in England, and the quality and accessibility of the
simple partnership agreement between the relevant green space around those homes has a fundamental
organisations. The Federation of City Farms and impact on the health and well-being of those
Community Gardens provides advice and support residents. From a recent CABE study, less than 1 per
for local food-growing initiatives.21 cent of those interviewed that live in social housing
reported using the green spaces in the housing estate
they live in. This may be due to concerns about safety,
Cemeteries lack of access, or poor quality.28 There is a huge
opportunity for social landlords to work with residents
Cemeteries are often both heritage sites and great to transform their local spaces through asset transfer,
havens for wildlife as well as providing valuable and some estates are already managed by tenant
tranquil spaces for people. They are often underused management organisations, under management
community assets with potential for greater use. agreements. The Growing Kitchen Residents Group
Many have active friends’ groups. For example, the on the Wenlock Barn Estate in Hackney, east London,
Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol fundraises shows what is possible. This group brings unused or
for physical improvements to the cemetery, help underused open public spaces on the estate into use
with grounds maintenance and support for the as gardens where residents can grow their own fruit
reception service.22 Nationally, support is offered by and vegetables, aiming to improve the quality of the
the National Federation of Cemetery Friends.23 local environment and the life of the community.

14
A partnership programme, Neighbourhoods Green,
highlights the importance of green spaces for the
residents of social housing, to raise the quality
of their design, management and safe use and
provides guidance, support and tools.29 CABE and
the National Housing Federation’s Decent homes,
decent spaces action plan sets out 10 priorities for
change on social housing estates. 30

Waterside spaces

Bluebell Allotments, Norwich © Andy Hendry / New Century Pictures

Canal towpaths, riverbanks and seafronts offer
people the benefit of contact with the natural water
environment, access to recreation and form an
important part of the transport network, providing
linear routes for walking and cycling. Many form
an important part of our industrial heritage and
all are of benefit to wildlife. Ownership is varied,
British Waterways, which owns and manage a
third of the inland canal network, is moving from
being a state-owned organisation to become a ‘civil
society organisation’. This should provide many
more opportunities for volunteer involvement , social
enterprise and asset transfer.31

Charitable trusts support community involvement

in waterways such as The Waterways Trust, a
national charity that works to promote greater public
enjoyment of inland waterways32 and the Inland
Waterways Association33, which aims to ensure the
inland waterways are restored and maintained to the
best possible standards, and kept accessible to all.
‘Food growing can be
Waterways can offer possibilities for income a great way to engage
generation, such as through the use of associated
buildings, charging for moorings and licences
people who may not
normally get involved in
public spaces’
19 www.fieldsintrust.org
20 www.farmgarden.org.uk
21 www.farmgarden.org.uk
22 www.arnosvalefriends.org.uk
23
24
25
26
27 www.playengland.org.uk
28 www.cabe.org.uk/publications/community-green
29
30 www.cabe.org.uk/publications/decent-homes-need-decent-spaces
31

15
Case study
Warley Woods Community
Trust, West Midlands

Volunteers help out at a ‘Big Spring Clean’

event at Warley Woods. The trust has a
membership of 800 people, many of whom
volunteer on the site
© Warley Woods Community Trust

16
How a trust ensured long-term community management
of a historical woodland site

Warley Woods is a 40-hectare urban park in The volunteers include a councillor, a town planner,
Smethwick, in the West Midlands, which was run an architect, a business analyst, a chartered
by Birmingham City Council for most of the 20th surveyor, and a university researcher in community
century. However, by the late 1990s the site was planning. The professional skills of these volunteers
in a poor condition and in 1997 local residents set have been very valuable. Viv Cole, trust manager,
up the Warley Woods Community Trust to support says: ‘Without a professional base, you’d struggle.’
it. In 2004 the trust took over the management of
the site and has since raised nearly £2 million to The trust has been successful in raising money to
invest in improvements. tackle the backlog of investment. Donors include
the Big Lottery, Groundwork UK, Smethwick town
Warley Woods dates back to the 1500s, but its team and the Charles Henry Foyle Trust. The money
landscape was designed by the acclaimed 18th helps to ensure that damage or vandalism is dealt
century landscape architect Humphry Repton and with quickly.
is listed on English Heritage’s Register of historic
parks and gardens. The site consists of a meadow, The day-to-day management costs for the park come
large woodlands and a public golf course. from: income from the golf course (57 per cent); a
service level agreement with Sandwell Council (23
Although Warley Woods was run by Birmingham per cent); various fundraising activities (around 11
City Council, it is located within the borough per cent); and public donations and sponsorship (5
of Sandwell. Because of this, Warley Woods per cent). Income is also generated from the sale of
Community Trust, in conjunction with Sandwell Warley Woods Christmas cards and a contract with
Council, applied for and was awarded £757,000 an ice cream seller.
from the urban parks programme of the Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) in 1999. This funded the Lessons learned
resurfacing of paths and drives, new boundary
railings, a woodland management plan, and an Have a clear vision of what you are aiming to
archaeological investigation. achieve: the vision may gradually change as time
goes by, but without one it will be difficult to keep
Following the HLF grant award, Sandwell, in people working to the same objectives.
conjunction with the trust, started the legal process
to take out a lease on the site. This took time Volunteers with financial, legal and environmental
because the park was covered by five different skills can be vital to the project’s success – try to
covenants. However, in 2004 the park was leased attract these sorts of people as well as those who
to Sandwell for 99 years and subleased to Warley are offering practical support, such as helping to
Woods Community Trust for the same period. maintain the space.

The aims of the trust are the conservation of Warley Those involved need to have an attitude of
Woods, promotion and education of the historical, dogged determination. Whether trustees, staff or
horticultural and archaeological importance of the volunteers, they need to carry on supporting the
historic site and the provision of recreational facilities project in the face of setbacks.
for all sections of the local community. The trust runs
a variety of events such as a Kickstart ‘boot camp’ Keep up contact with officers from the council
and works to involve as many people as possible. – they have many skills and it is helpful to have
The trust is a company limited by guarantee and a someone you can call for advice.
registered charity. It employs nine staff and has a
membership of 800 people, many of whom volunteer
on the site. www.warleywoods.org.uk

17
and for some recreational activities. A good The importance of investing in community development
example is Stourport Forward, a company limited and infrastructure in new housing developments is a
by guarantee, which has attracted funding to key lesson in Learning from the Past, drawing from
regenerate Stourport canal basins and improve the experience of building new towns which started
streets and parks across Stourport. in the 1940s and relating them to current housing
programmes such as eco towns. 35

Public open space and new

development
Public open spaces planned for new
developments can be considered for asset
transfer from the outset as an alternative to local
authority adoption, or ownership by a private
management company. This can encourage
people to get to know each other in new
32 www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk
neighbourhoods and give residents a greater stake 33 www.waterways.org.uk
in the management of their local environment. 34
35
New developments can also bring opportunities 36 www.charity-commission.gov.uk
for investment in public open space beyond the 37
development itself. ‘Section 106’ agreements offer
contributions from the developer negotiated by the
planning authority. These have provided a source
of funding for many public space improvements
and in some cases for ongoing maintenance of
sites. The new community infrastructure levy,
(which will largely replace section 106 agreements
in time), may provide a potential source of
funding for public open spaces, providing that
local authorities include public spaces in their
list of types of projects that can benefit from
the levy. 34 Community groups looking to take
over responsibility for public spaces will need to
discuss how to access planning contributions ‘The new community
with their local authority planning officers. It will
become increasingly important also to approach
infrastructure levy is
developers of local sites to see what they can a potential source of
offer directly or include in their negotiations with
local planners.
funding for public
open spaces’
New Ash Green in Kent is home to 6,300
residents who have owned, paid for and managed
the green space on their estate since it was built
in the late 60s and early 70s. The management is
organised in neighbourhoods by volunteers who
are members either of the individual Residents
Societies or the Village Associations Council of
Management. Maintenance is carried out by an
external contractor and sometimes by residents.
This arrangement has worked well and the public
spaces under their control are well looked after.

18
4 The business case for transfer

Once you have decided to consider an asset Setting out what you want from transfer
transfer, both the local authority and the
community group will need to develop a The business case should clearly set out your
business case. The success of transfers to objectives for doing an asset transfer. These
community groups can hinge on a well thought- objectives should ideally have been agreed and
through business case. This should be divided shared with stakeholders.
into four themes:
  Setting out what you want – checklist for
Setting out what you want – what is the status local authorities
of the site and what is it that you want to achieve 
from the transfer? Check whether the land that you plan to
transfer is entirely owned by the local authority,
Governance and accountability – what kind or if it has been gifted or held in trust. If it is
of organisation, people and skills are needed? owned by a charitable trust, transferring it to a
community group will be subject to the charity law
Finance – where is the money coming from framework. 36 Investigate what legal constraints
for improvements and ongoing maintenance, and planning obligations exist on the site, and the
and for how long? implications for any prospective transfer.
Agree a long-term clear vision statement for
Communications – who needs to be informed the site with local community groups. Your
about what? What is the best way to get the vision statement will set out your broad aims
message across? from the transfer and what you want to see
happening to the site in future. This will help to
This section outlines the main things you need to ensure that everyone is working to the same
consider under each theme, and offers checklists objectives from the start.
for local authorities and community groups. Ensure that there is broad political and staff
commitment to the transfer of the open space to
the community, through consultation.
Offer community groups information and advice
about the design, management and use of the
site to help their business planning.
Ensure that you have the capacity and the
technical skills to support a transfer. You will
almost certainly need to offer some ongoing
support and guidance to the community
group. They will almost certainly want advice on
issues like open space management, horticulture,
governance, legal and community development.
It is possible that staff, as well as land, may
be transferred to the community organisation.
Bayley Hall Café, Hyde Park Manchester © Jane Sebire

Involve your human resources team and the

relevant trade unions at an early stage and
ensure that the implications of the Transfer
of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)
Regulations 1981, or TUPE, which protect
employees’ terms and conditions when a business
is transferred from one owner to another, have
been considered. 37

19
Case study
Warley Woods
Torbay Coast and
Community
Countryside
Trust, Devon
West Midlands

Cockington Country Park, managed by the

trust includes a demonstration organic garden,
disabled-friendly children’s play area, lakes,
woodland, farmland and a network of walking
and cycling paths
© Ian Lloyd

20
How establishing charitable trust safeguarded the
council’s green spaces

In 1999, Torbay Council established an independent the trust to present its business plan each year
charitable trust to manage almost 500 hectares to the council
of its land. Under this arrangement, the trust can the trust to work to management plans for its sites
access funding and support that the council cannot. the trust to provide a programme of events
and activities
There was long history behind the move. In the 1930s, the council to pay the trust a management
coastal land around Torbay, in Devon, came under fee each year.
pressure from uncontrolled development. To prevent
further damage, the council bought up large areas Since the trust was set up, 22 per cent of its annual
of coastal farmland. By the 1990s this was managed revenue income has come from the management
by the Torbay countryside service, the council’s fee paid by the council, the balance coming from a
countryside management department. range of sources including rents, grants, membership
subscriptions, fundraising appeals and trading income.
In 1997 Torbay was preparing to become a unitary The trust has raised £6.2 million over 10 years for
authority and it reviewed all of the services it provided. various capital and revenue projects from grants,
It approached the National Trust to see if it would be legacies and charitable trusts. Events, too, are a good
willing to take on some of its heritage assets, including source of income — the trust earns money from events
land. However, the move would have required a large such as Cockington Apple Day and the Occombe
cash dowry to fund the cost of future management. Beer Festival.
So the council decided to explore setting up its own
local trust to take on the management of its green Dominic Acland, the trust’s director, says: ‘ The
spaces instead. formation of the trust was the key to unleashing the
real potential of Torbay Council’s countryside assets.
Council research showed that an independent Charitable status has helped us motivate and enthuse
trust could: local communities, so we have seen volunteering
generate income through membership, sponsorship, increase at least four-fold, and our fundraising ability has
and grants been massively boosted. Partnerships with the private,
generate more volunteer support voluntary and public sectors have been easier to form
remain dedicated to the conservation of Torbay’s and our decision-making processes are leaner and more
heritage focused. We have gained independence whilst retaining
develop partnerships and projects with other close and supportive links with Torbay Council.’
organisations
improve standards of care and maintenance Lessons learned
safeguard greenfield sites against development.
S ecuring a three-year service level agreement from
So in 1998 the council formed a trust, and its the council helped to establish security for the trust
countryside service team transferred to a new Having a senior councillor on the board of trustees
organisation, the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. can help create a close working relationship with the
The trust took on the ownership of 486 hectares of local authority.
land under a 60-year lease. The council subsequently Being independent from the council is important -
leased more land to the trust, which now manages it can be easier to work with the local community
708 hectares. if you are separate organisation.
When negotiating who will sit on the board of the
The council is the trust’s main landlord and the terms new trust avoid allocating seats to organisations and
of the lease to the trust are a significant feature of the then allowing them to nominate someone to take on
relationship between the two. In addition to the lease, the role. The people who sit on the board should
a management agreement was created. This sets have the skills you need.
out more details of the relationship between the two Events and legacies are a good source of
organisations. It provides for: income for charitable trusts.
one Torbay councillor to be a trustee
council officers to attend trust meetings
quarterly meetings of the trust liaison group, www.countryside-trust.org.uk
involving two councillors and two trustees www.torbay.gov.uk
21
Setting out what you want – checklist for Governance and accountability
community groups
Good governance is fundamental to the success of
Ensure that you have a clear vision statement any asset transfer. The way that you manage staff,
setting out what you want to see happen to money, assets and resources will depend on the size
the site in future. This will ensure that everyone and complexity of the space itself, its ownership,
understands the aims of the transfer from the start. who uses it, who else has an interest in it, and so on. 
Talk to people to establish the levels of support
for transfer: setting this out will strengthen Governance structures
your business case.
Consider how to involve, inform and consult the The governance structure should be devised to
people who live and work around the site on an meet the needs of the project. Community groups
ongoing basis, so that you stay in touch with their will need to consider what sort of legal status their
aspirations as the project evolves. organisation should have and this will depend on
Consider and promote the different opportunities what they want to achieve. A simple constitution
that the transfer can offer to new and marginalised might be right for a small community group
groups of people to become involved. overseeing an interim use for a small space and could
Support and develop options for income- give it the independence to fundraise and involve
generating activity. Conduct market research local people in informal ways. More complex projects
to find out if the proposed methods of income are likely to need more formal structures. Options
generation are realistic. for your structure include a community interest
Be aware of any liabilities on the site or historical company (CIC), an industrial and provident society
legal requirements. (IPS), a charitable trust or a company. You may
You will need the help of lawyers or other want to consider ‘incorporation’ to protect members
professionals to help draw up lease agreements; from personal liability. This could also increase the
ensure that you have access to legal professionals confidence of partners and funders. 38
and other advisors, and sufficient money to pay
for this. Quality assurance tools and standards can
demonstrate that an organisation is fit for purpose
You may need to draw up management plans for for asset transfer. These include Community
the site. The complexity of these will depend on Matters’ ‘Visible standard’ 39, the Development Trusts
the size of the site and the number and variety of Association’s ‘Healthcheck’40 and the Charities
facilities and events that may take place. Once in Evaluation Services’ ‘Practical quality assurance
place, the plans will need regular review. system for small organisations (PQASSO)’.41 
© The Box Moor Trust

38 For more information on structures see, ‘To have and to hold’, Development
Trusts Association, 2005
39
40 www.dta.org.uk/activities/programmes/healthcheck
41
42

22
 Doorstep Greens / Nick Turner Photography
St Neot Doorstep Green, Liskeard, Cornwall © Natural England /
Accountability

Open spaces play a central role in the life of local

communities, providing a hub for civic life and
features that attract newcomers to an area, which
can in turn help stimulate the local economy.
Because of this, the people who use or value the
place should be able to hold the people that run
the space accountable, and get involved with what
they do. This is as important for woodlands and
country parks as it is for busy urban parks. Even
if a community organisation is managing a small
space serving the needs of a particular part of
the community, such as an allotment on a housing
estate, it should not exclude use by any part of
the community.

To ensure accountability, the adventure capital fund

suggests the following approach42 :

Governing boards should wherever possible

include ‘community connectors’ – people with
wide and deep links with the community.
If the group is membership-based it should be
proactive in efforts to increase the number of
members.
Elections should be held at regular intervals and
a proportion of the elected members should
stand down each year. This should be supported ‘People who use a
by proactive recruitment from the local
neighbourhood, especially trying to encourage space should be
people from hard-to-reach communities to ensure able to hold the
broad participation.
Organisations should engage with people in people that run the
the broadest way, and by using a variety of space accountable’
techniques, including social and community
events, newsletters, and digital surveys/media.
Community groups should work with a wide
range of partners. This will help to create robust
information and reduce any over-reliance on the
local authority.
The compilation of social impact accounts as
records of achievements, as and when required by
the asset owner. This ought not to be onerous or
unmanageable in the absence of permanent staff.

Insurance

A community group taking on responsibility for a

space will need to consider insurance if the council
remains the landowner. Public liability insurance
is needed to cover members of the public using

23
Case study
Heeley Millennium Park,
Sheffield

Festivals and community events raise

awareness of the park and encourage the
community to get involved
© Heeley Development Trust

24
How a community is overcoming the long-term
challenges of running a public space

Heeley Millennium Park, a four-hectare green ‘The Millennium park is a fantastic asset for the
space in south Sheffield, was created following community which the trust is very proud of. But in
a campaign by local residents. It is owned and isolation, with its unfunded ongoing maintenance
maintained on behalf of the community by Heeley requirements and zero valuation in accounting
Development Trust. terms, it could be seen as a liability for the
organisation,’ he says.
The area that is now the park had once been
housing, but this was demolished and the space The trust is working to develop other assets with
left derelict. In 1997, Heeley Development the aim of using these to secure regular long-term
Trust was given a 125-year lease on the land income, all of which should help safeguard the
by Sheffield City Council. Initial funding for park’s future.
creating the park was from a variety of sources,
including the single regeneration budget, the Lessons learned
European regional development fund, and English
Partnerships. Now, as well as open green space, When designing a green space, consider what
the park includes native woodland, children’s maintenance it will require. When the trust took
play facilities and Sheffield’s first artificial over the park it was a green desert. Now the
climbing boulder. park now has a variety of different spaces and
facilities which makes it more valuable to the local
Heeley Development Trust has strong links with community, but does cost more to maintain.
the community and tries to ensure that local
people are employed in its schemes where Securing ongoing contracts helps with cashflow.
possible. But finding funding to pay for the day- One of the reasons that the social enterprise set
to-day maintenance of the park has always been up by the trust to bid for landscape work did not
difficult and, from time to time, there have been survive was that most of the contracts it won were
crises. time limited, rather than ongoing.

After the initial grants for the park ran out, the Buildings on land can generate an income to help
development trust set up a social enterprise pay for the maintenance of the land. However, it is
company, White Horse Green People, with the likely that no single method of raising income will
idea that its employees would maintain the park be enough to cover maintenance costs.
while also bidding for other local landscape
contracts to cover its costs. However, after it was Because most public spaces are protected and
unable to secure contracts with a big enough cannot be sold or developed, they are often
profit margin to support the maintenance team considered to have no financial value — which
at Millennium Park, and with the construction is why Millennium Park is not listed on the
industry in a slump, the project failed. development trust’s balance sheet as an asset.
This can deter potential investors, who are wary
In March 2010 the trust was awarded £450,000 of spending money on an asset that is considered
of Big Lottery community spaces flagship to have zero value. For more information about
funding for the park. Most of this will be spent on this problem, and how to overcome it, see Making
improving and extending existing facilities. The the invisible visible: the real value of park assets,
challenge remains to secure funding for ongoing CABE, 2009.
maintenance.

Once the lottery money has been spent, the www.heeleydevtrust.com

trust will have invested more than £1 million in
the park. However, because of the way in which
green spaces are traditionally valued, the park
does not appear as an asset on the trust’s balance
sheet. In fact, according to Simon Bartles, finance
manager, the park could be seen as a liability.

25
 ‘Community groups will the site. Employers’ liability insurance will be
needed if the group has paid staff. Insurance is
need to have access needed for events on site, tools, machinery and
to the specific skills office equipment such as computers. If a community
group employs an organisation to run an event
needed to manage a or training on a site, that group should have their
public space’ own liability insurance.

Where the council remains the landowner,

volunteers who are not employed or supervised by
council staff will also need their own insurance. If
a member of the public is injured because of the
activity of the volunteer, then the council’s insurance
will not pick up the volunteer’s liability – and
the individual volunteer could be liable. If the council
supervises or manages the activity of the volunteer
then they will be covered under the council’s
insurance but the volunteer must make sure that
there is a written agreement between the parties.

Skills

Community groups will need to have access to

the specific skills necessary to manage a public
space, within the group, through a partnership
or by buying particular services. They will need
green space skills like horticulture, ecology,
St Neot Doorstep Green, Liskeard, Cornwall © Natural England / Doorstep Greens / Nick Turner Photography

landscape design and management, as well as

management skills like community development,
fundraising, communications, event management,
budgetary control, personnel management,
contract management and partnership working. It
is particularly important that there is at least one
person on a board of trustees with experience of
open space management. Some organisations,
such as Groundwork, run horticultural training
schemes for the long-term unemployed and there
may be opportunities to link with programmes like
this, or set up similar schemes to develop the skills
of local people on site.

26
Governance and accountability – checklist for Governance and accountability – checklist for
community groups local authorities

If you are already an established group, Establish whether community/voluntary

decide whether your existing governance and organisations already exist with the knowledge,
accountability structures are fit for the prospective experience and trust of the community that
transfer. could support or even take on the transfer.
Have an idea of how long you intend the Find out who in your organisation has the skills
project to last. Is it interim, short term, or long and capacity to advise community groups on
term? Decide whether a phased approach to good governance. If no one is available, you
ownership could allow capacity to develop to can get advice from local voluntary services
help long-term success. Consider whether the or from a range of national community asset-
governance structure, required skills and legal related networks (see resources section on
obligations (such as insurance), will change over page 38).
different phases of the project, such as when Ensure that you have set up formal review
doing any capital improvements, and when doing structures and agreed joint undertakings
ongoing maintenance. with the community group to ensure the
Ensure that the governing board is representative objectives in the business plan are being
of the local community and/or accountable to delivered. You should agree operational and
them, through groups and individuals. management expectations for management
Consider who will be on the board and whether and maintenance.
they are appointed for a set period. Decisions If appropriate, ensure that there is local
about the numbers of trustees/directors, and their authority liaison with the board of the
length of service, can be made in the constitution group to offer a strategic overview, and
or memorandum and articles. Knowing the length/ for accountability to the wider community
depth of commitment required of community and public funding.
representatives often helps to identify
interested people.
Consider how the wider community could Finance
contribute to the governance of your
organisation. This could be through user groups, Transferring public space to community groups
community forums, or as potential trustees, has the potential to bring in new sources of grant
volunteers, consultees, participants, users, ‘critical income unavailable to local authorities. While this
friends’ and communicators. might seem an attractive prospect, fundraising
Find out whether the public open space had been and income generation is time-consuming and
designed to meet specific needs, such as the challenging and requires both knowledge and
needs of minority ethnic groups, older people or skills.
disabled people. Find out whether information has
been gathered on the impact of the transfer on A local authority or public body that is going to
equalities. Work out what should be done to transfer a public open space to a community group
address this and make the space more attractive may need to support it in the initial stages to help
to a wider range of people. them gain access to funds, as well as providing
Consider signing up to the code of conduct ongoing advice.
governing working relationships between the
public and voluntary and community sectors43. The local authority should consider funding
the community group to enable them to lever
in match funding for the costs of maintaining
the site. Experience shows that it is easier
to raise money for capital projects, such as
building a new playground or facility, than for
day-to-day maintenance. A community group
43 considering taking on an asset transfer should

27
Case study
Tarvin Community Woodland
Trust, Cheshire

Securing a long term lease for the site

gives confidence to funders and is an
important step for the trust
© Cheshire West and Chester Council

28
How a landscape traffic barrier was transformed into
community woodland

When a road bypass was built around the Cheshire Tarvin Community Woodland Trust was created in
village of Tarvin, an area of land planted with trees 2008. In 2009 the trust took over formal responsibility
was included between the road and the village for the management of the site by signing a 125-year
to screen the traffic and integrate the road into lease, for a peppercorn rent, with Cheshire West
the surrounding landscape. Following a local and Chester Council, which was by then the relevant
campaign, and negotiations with the Highways authority.
Agency, this land is now managed by a community
trust as amenity woodland for local people. Jim Grogan, chairman of the trust, says: ‘The 125-
year lease reassures funders that the trust has long-
The bypass, a new section of the A51 trunk road, was term control of the site. Security of tenure is a vital
built in the mid-1980s. The adjacent land, designed ingredient to securing future funding’.
to hide the road, was approximately 1km long and five
hectares in area. A local parish councillor, Jim Grogan, The anticipated annual cost of maintaining the
recognised the potential of the site: it could be used woodland is £2,500. The trust receives £1,000 a
as an amenity area and still provide a traffic barrier. In year from the parish council. In addition it raises
1993 he began to campaign to secure the area as a £2,000 from local events and plant sales. Additional
green space by negotiating with the Highways Agency funding is raised through grants and donations from
for the land to be used as community woodland. villagers. The trustees are confident that they can
obtain sufficient funds to meet long-term management
In 1997, this was achieved and Tarvin Parish Council costs. Projects that will incur high maintenance costs
agreed to become the licence holder to use the land. are avoided. ‘The key thing is not to be too ambitious.
A licence was signed agreeing terms for its use. Otherwise, when grants dry up, things will fall into
Richard Stephenson, regional environmental advisor disrepair,’ says Jim Grogan. The site has won a Green
at the Highways Agency says: ‘we are proud of our Pennant Award and this has helped give the trust’s
relationship with the local community; the woodland work credibility.
provides a much loved place for local people and in
return we share the maintenance costs’. Lessons learned

The council set up the Tarvin Community Woodland Involvement of the whole community is essential
Group, which consisted of five people, two of whom to create a sense of ownership, something they
had to be parish councillors. The group had to be self can be proud to be a part of. Their voluntary work
funding and not financially reliant on the council. and donations towards the scheme ensure that
vandalism and damage are less likely.
The following year a grant from Cheshire Rural Action A community group will struggle to attract funding
funded access gates and a footpath for the site. The for a space it manages without a long-term lease
Highways Agency contributed design advice and over the site.
planting. On Remembrance Sunday villagers planted Don’t be too ambitious in your plans. Try not to
an avenue of 25 English oaks to commemorate the introduce things that will require expensive long-
members of the armed forces named on the village term maintenance that might be difficult to fund.
war memorial. Commemorative tree planting of English Better to have something simple that you can look
oaks has continued over the succeeding planting after, rather than something complicated that falls
seasons. into disrepair.
Awards, such as the Green Pennant Award for
The group realised that the short-term licence they had community run green spaces, are worth entering.
to use the land was off-putting to potential funders and The criteria required to achieve this award gives
that a long-term lease was necessary. In partnership credibility to the community group and its ability to
with the council it began negotiations for the lease and run the space properly. This helps reassure potential
decided to set up a trust to take on the lease, should it funders.
be granted.

www.tarvincommunitywoodland.org
www.highways.gov.uk

29
explore the potential of securing a lump-sum Approaches more common abroad include taxation
dowry from the local authority at the time they take initiatives, where parks are funded by local tax
over the site, or having a service level agreement levies, and commercial finance. In the USA some
with them to pay for maintaining the site in the local authorities have issued bonds to pay for public
early years. open space, which are repaid over many years.

Endowments are another option. Here money, or Finally, volunteer involvement in itself is a source of
assets, are allocated to the trust running income. Volunteers working for community groups
the public open space and the income generated contribute time and expertise to managing open
is used to fund maintenance. Endowments can spaces, and this can be used as match funding. 
fund public open spaces in perpetuity. The public
open spaces in the city of Milton Keynes, which The business case must set out how the management
are managed by an independent trust, provide a and maintenance of the transferred open space will
good example of this.44 Local authorities can fund be paid for. An accurate record of running costs,
endowments through the planning system, raising and a prediction of future costs, provides a baseline
money through ‘planning gain’, when negotiating for business planning. Local authorities should be
new developments. The amount of money or prepared to share their data with community groups in
assets required to fund the maintenance of a order for them to prepare realistic plans. Any financial
public open space in perpetuity is extremely proposals should also take account of the fact that
large, which is why endowment funding as a sole local authorities do not pay VAT, but the organisation
source of income is rare. taking on the management and /or ownership of the
asset may well need to.
One of the benefits of transferring public assets is
to facilitate greater community enterprise. Income- The financial value of the public open space
generating activities which can help maintain
open spaces could include sponsorship, café and Spaces are often transferred to community groups
restaurant concessions, or rental for sports for a symbolic value, such as a peppercorn rent.
facilities. Coin Street Community Builders is a But any group taking on a public space asset must
development trust and social enterprise based take account of the infrastructure, such as paving,
on the South Bank in London. The creation and railings, fences, benches and trees. Knowing their
maintenance of the Bernie Spain Gardens and the value, or replacement costs, will help establish a
South Bank riverside walkway has been funded realistic estimate of the future maintenance costs
by the income from the development of new social and it may also be useful when negotiating with
housing, shops, restaurants and studios under the investors.
ownership and management of Coin Street.45
Taking a ‘whole-life costing’ approach will provide
‘Community shares’ can fund public open space information on the maintenance and replacement
by raising money from local people to invest costs over the lifetime of the lease or ownership
in local service provision with which they are arrangement. This approach is usually applied to
actively involved.46 This suits an organisation buildings. The whole-life value of green spaces
starting out, in that it raises instantly accessible raises a range of new issues. Different elements
capital not tied to outputs usually specified within a green space, such as paths, trees, flowers
in grant aid, although does rely on the asset and shrubs, will have different maintenance
having the potential to generate profit. Financial requirements and lifecycles. Some assets, like
returns for investors are available only once a trees, will appreciate over time. Flowers and shrubs
profit is made. The process of offering shares will have far shorter lifecycles. The initial cost of a
can increase the profile of the organisation, specific element will not correlate with the level of
attracting more local support which helps it maintenance required over its whole life. In some
to be more resilient. The Tutbury Ecopower cases it will be prudent to invest in quality up front
project in Staffordshire is a community-led mini to save money in the long term. When valuing public
hydroelectric project that will use profits to invest space it is not appropriate to include the land
in local green spaces.47 value because it is overwhelmingly influenced

30
 Finance – checklist for local authorities

© Dukes Meadows Trust

Establish, and make available, the historic and
potential future costs of the site and its individual
components.
Funding for the short term (the first three to five
years) may need to be paid as a lump sum at the
start of the project to enable the community to use
the money to raise other funds.
Consider whether community groups that take on
spaces could be offered a funded service level
agreement to cover basic maintenance.
When negotiating planning gain, consider using
the money generated to fund endowments for
community-run spaces.
If there is building on or near the space that
could generate income for the maintenance and
management of the site, consider whether it could
be transferred with the open space.
It might be beneficial to offer knowledge and skills
from your staff to work with the community group
to support income-generating activities.

Dukes Meadows Trust has a lease from the

London Borough of Hounslow to manage the
Finance – checklist for community groups
water play area, funded through rental income
from adjacent artists studios and a cafe kiosk Try to negotiate funding from the local authority
to contribute to the cost of maintaining the site
or an initial lump sum to either invest or use as
match funding for grants. Valuing volunteer time or
‘sweat equity’ can also be used as match funding.
by its planning status: land that can be developed Investigate opportunities for alliances or
is far more valuable than identical land that partnership agreements with other organisations
cannot.48 who may have an interest in the site.
Explore all income-generation opportunities that
CABE’s guide, Making the invisible visible, the site can offer making sure that any commercial
questions the application of traditional activities do not affect the accessibility of the
accounting methods to parks and green spaces. space to the wider community.
The historic cost accounting approach is based Check whether your group has the entrepreneurial
on the value of the asset at the time it was skills to set up a community enterprise (not-for-
acquired and current value accounting is based private-profit) business by conducting a skills
on what it would cost to replace the asset with analysis/audit of potential board members and
a similar asset in a similar condition. When it volunteers. Research whether there is a market for
comes to valuing parks, instead of buildings, what you intend the enterprise to do.
both approaches have drawbacks. Making the
invisible visible proposes a new framework
for measuring the value of parks and green 44 www.theparkstrust.com
spaces. This framework enables the methodical 45 www.coinstreet.org
assessment of the quantity and condition of 46 www.communityshares.org.uk
assets within spaces, planning over long-term 47 www.tutburyecopower.co.uk
periods and anticipation of expenditure. 48 Making the invisible visible: the real value of park assets, CABE, 2009

31
Case study
Nene Park Trust,
Cambridgeshire

Nene Park offers a wide range of activities

and is well used by the whole community.
The park is entirely self-funding from income-
generating activities
© Nene Park Trust

32
How an independent trust was established for public
space with its own income

Nene Park in Cambridgeshire began as an idea in saving money: it is a way of getting local people more
the 1960s vision for the expansion of Peterborough actively engaged with its work. James McCulloch,
as a new town. In the 1980s, Nene Park Trust, chief executive of the trust, says: ‘It’s not enough to
a charity, was created to manage and protect sit here and hope people come. You’ve got to get
the park forever. out and speak to them.’

Nene Park, which runs for 10km along the valley of Nene Park Trust is a company limited by guarantee
the River Nene, was conceived by the Peterborough and a registered charity. The trust works closely
Development Corporation, Peterborough City Council with more than 25 organisations and businesses
and Cambridgeshire County Council. The park, which that manage land or facilities in the park. Its work is
opened in 1978, was designed as an accessible overseen by its board of trustees, which was set up to
network of spaces and waterways, and a gateway include representatives of local, national and regional
to the countryside for the people of Peterborough. organisations. The trust is reviewing its governance
Today it includes a range of landscapes and facilities structures to ensure they are fit for the next 10 years.
including golf courses, horse riding, hotels, pubs, ‘Often, it’s the individual people who are important,
cafes, a garden centre, farmland and a sculpture park. not so much who they are appointed by,’ says James
The trust has programmes to ensure that the park McCulloch.
is accessible to all users, including the ‘sailability’
scheme which gives hundreds of park users with Lessons learned
limited mobility the opportunity to sail on the lake,
and the Peterborough adapted cycle scheme, which When setting up a trust to manage public space it
enables park users to become proficient in the use of is vital that the long-term calculations for the cost
hand cycles (powered by arms rather than legs) and of managing the space are accurate. Getting this
hire them to explore routes around the park. right – and ensuring that long term infrastructure
replacement is accounted for minimises any future
In the 1980s the Peterborough Development financial burden
Corporation was at the end of its life, having
established the new town, and a decision had to be The financial endowment gives the trust
made about the future ownership and management of independence. However, it is important to maintain
Nene Park. It was decided that the best way to secure contact with a wide range of stakeholders, partners,
the park’s future would be to set up an independent and community groups: without their support, work
trust. This would protect the park from changes in local can be more challenging.
and national government policy and, if independently
funded, would protect it from the uncertainties of It is important to get the right range of skills on the
public funding. So, in 1988, Nene Park Trust was set board of trustees and to review the composition of
up. Peterborough Council gave it a 999-year lease the board as the organisation and its work changes
on the 660-hectare site and it was endowed with and develops.
commercial property and other assets that would
generate an income. Compared with a local authority, which has to deal
with a range of issues, a trust benefits from being
Today, the trust spends more than £1.5 million able to focus solely on public space management.
a year looking after the park. This is entirely self-
funded. Around £100,000 is generated by the trust
from commercial activities such as car parking and www.neneparktrust.org.uk
events; around £600,000 is income from leases and
licences to cafes, pubs and hotels on the land; and
around £800,000 comes from the endowment and
investments. Because the trust has had a secure
income it has been able to employ all the staff it needs
and for many years did not really see any reason to
attract volunteers. This, however, is likely to change:
the trust recognises that having volunteers is not about

33
 Communications

The success of an asset transfer often comes down

to the quality of its communications. They govern
whether relationships are positive or not; whether
a representative cross-section of local people
is involved; and whether fundraising activity is
successful.

Regular and purposeful communication starts with

putting time aside to prepare an influencing plan. This
‘Different is a good way to focus and prioritise; clarify what it
is you are trying to change and plan ahead and be
communication proactive. Different communication strategies will
strategies will be be needed at different stages of an asset transfer
project. Initially communication is likely to be about
needed at different raising awareness and getting wider support and
stages of an asset interest in a project. Once a transfer has progressed,
the focus may move to reaching out to the community
transfer project’ to encourage volunteer support or talking to specific
groups about providing activities on the site.

The local authority will want to ensure that every

department involved in the transfer is onside, from
property services, asset management, planning
and regeneration to those currently responsible for
maintaining the site. If a shift in culture is required,
this could involve senior officers or members directly
addressing their concerns such as how risks are
being assessed and managed.
Doorstep Greens / Nick Turner Photography
Treloggan Community Project, Treloggan, Cornwall © Natural England /

It is important to mobilise the support of organisations

such as wildlife trusts, whose remits are relevant and
whose members will be keen to get involved, bringing
knowledge and resources. A bigger challenge is
reaching more deeply into the community.

So an integrated publicity campaign will need to

include both ‘broadcast’ and outreach. Broadcast
means raising general awareness to maximise local
support and involvement, using the media, leaflet
drops and public meetings. It needs to ensure that
as many people as possible are included; nobody
should be excluded because of the physical access
to the meeting place, or the timing of meetings, or
lack of appropriate support (eg child care).

34
Outreach is, by contrast, small scale, building Be creative and tap into existing skills and enthusiasms.
relationships and establishing trusted networks. Fylde’s Park View 4U group made a video about its
The more personal the contact with volunteers, park for their website50 showing how people have been
the more rewarding they will find their involvement, involved in improving it. All publicity associated with the
and the more reliable and enthusiastic they will be. project, from the noticeboard on site to newsletters,
Liaison with specific groups about providing activities needs branding which projects the personality and
on the site, such as education programmes, will values of the project in a convincing way. Budget
broaden and deepen the project’s value to the realistically for commissioning design and production
local community. costs. Strong simple design will help to ensure that
the impression you want to give is the one that comes
Outreach will be the most effective way to appeal over (eg friendly and approachable and informal but
to those whose voices are not often heard. The not disorganised and random). This provides a good
equalities impact assessment will have identified platform for volunteer recruitment and fundraising.
the different people in the community with which the
project needs to engage, for instance by working
through community centres and established voluntary Communications – checklist for local authorities
organisations. In Birmingham, for example, CSV
Environment49 and the Bangladeshi Women’s Garden Canvas colleagues and other partners to find out
Club manage the Concrete to Coriander project, about recent outreach work to engage groups
working with Asian women to bring neglected across the community.
gardens into productive or recreational use. Ask your press office if they can advise on
developing a media strategy and plan, and provide
When there is a need to consult about specific issues media training if required.
or improvements, options range from participatory Encourage the community to make full use of the
workshops, which bring people from different council’s publicity vehicles as well as their own,
disciplines and backgrounds together to explore new such as your website.
possibilities, to online consultations. The latter give
the people who know most about the site the chance
to comment. Whatever the method, be clear from Communications – checklist for community groups
the outset what residents can and can’t influence,
and tell people what has happened as a result of the T
 ailor all communication for the audience. Find out
consultation and why. which people care about a particular issue and how
they like to receive and respond to information.
Community groups should use their influencing Be clear about what you want the person receiving
plan to identify which media will be most helpful in it to do, and try to monitor results.
reaching the wider community. One spokesperson Use online communication where appropriate.
should be appointed to establish relationships with Create a website for your project using a free
newspapers and radio stations and be their first service like wordpress.com or blogger.com to
point of contact. Publish your press releases and keep everyone informed of progress. Use an email
news stories somewhere online so that there is a newsletter, a Facebook group and a Twitter account
permanent location for information about the project to direct people to your website and hear what they
for anyone who is interested. have to say about the project. Remember, though,
that not everyone has access to the internet.
Keep your management team and supporters
interested in this project over the longer term,
through regular newsletters; marking milestones
and celebrating success; education initiatives
and special volunteering days.

49 www.csvenvironment.org.uk
50 www.parkview4u.org.uk

35
Case study
Park View 4U,
Lancashire

Providing a place for children of all ages

to play has brought the community
together in Lytham. Play areas were
incorporated into a masterplan for the
whole site, and this aided fundraising
Park View 4U, Lancashire © Cath Powell

36
How energetic residents transformed a boggy playing
field into an activity-filled space

In Lytham, Lancashire, a local campaign for The site is still owned, managed and maintained by
better play facilities, led to the formation of a the council. However, Park View 4U was concerned
charity, Park View 4U, that has raised money to that the council would not be able to maintain the
create a park filled with equipment and equipment and infrastructure to the high standard
activities for all. it wants. It was also aware that there was an urgent
need for an indoor space that would include a café
As a result, Park View, a six-hectare playing field in and toilets.
the middle of Lytham, now has four football pitches,
a skateboard park, children’s play equipment, and Park View 4U was recently awarded a £500,000 Big
play equipment for the older generation and disabled Lottery grant and this – along with raising £130,000
people, among many other facilities. of their own – will fund them to create and manage
a new building, and the park, for five years. It aims to
In 2003, Park View was a waterlogged field with use the building to generate enough income to fund
little to offer. Local residents started a campaign for the park’s maintenance needs once the five-year
new play equipment for children. At first the council grant has run out. Park View 4U is working with the
was sceptical and it was difficult to attract funding council, with support from the Development Trusts
from other sources. However, the new resident-led Association’s advancing assets for communities
community group, Park View 4U, took an imaginative programme, to work out the details. The Asset
approach to fundraising. It contacted Blackpool Transfer Unit is advising on the business plan for
airport and a local pilot agreed to fly a plane over the café.
the park, free of charge, to film residents standing in
formation spelling out the word, ‘help’. The film now Fylde is committed to transferring the ownership of
features in an impressive Park View 4U video. ‘We’ve its public spaces to community groups. However,
sent the video to funders and one of them wrote Park View 4U wants to wait and see how the new
straight back enclosing a cheque for £10,000,’ building project works out before considering taking
says trustee Cath Powell. on further responsibility.

Park View 4U attracted support, and it is now a Lessons learned

registered charity. It began working in partnership
with Fylde Borough Council, the owner of Park View, Having a professionally designed masterplan
along with Lancashire County Council and other helps fundraising because it makes it easier for
local and national partners. people to visualise what could be achieved on
the site.
Through Lancashire County Council’s community
design project, a landscape architect was Be open, and honest, clearly set out the roles and
employed to produce a vision for the whole park. responsibilities at the start of the project – and
The masterplan has helped Park View 4U in its never underestimate what local people
fundraising work, which has generated money from can achieve.
community events, local businesses, and the Big
Lottery. The group has raised almost £1 million that Develop a good working relationship with council
would not have been available to the local council, officers, not just with councillors, and support
and this has been invested in the new infrastructure. them when you can.

Darren Bell, head of leisure services at Fylde

Borough Council, says: ‘The project has been www.parkview4u.org.uk
a fantastic success. It’s turned a neglected www.fylde.gov.uk
playing field into a quality recreational facility for
all age groups. It’s brought the entire community
together and created presence on the site and a
lasting legacy.’

37
5 Resources

Asset Transfer Unit Communities and Local Government

The Asset Transfer Unit helps to empower local The government department that is leading on the
people and organisations to transform land and Big Society agenda.
buildings into vibrant community spaces while www.communities.gov.uk
supporting the development of a thriving third sector.
Development Trusts Association
Supports the establishment and running of
CABE development trusts, including help for communities
CABE, the Commission for Architecture and to transform local buildings and land.
the Built Environment, has published a range www.dta.org.uk
of information about the future of parks and
other spaces. English Heritage
www.cabe.org.uk/publicspace Holds the register of historic parks and gardens and
has published Pillars of the community: the transfer
British Waterways of local authority heritage assets in November 2010.
British Waterways cares for England’s historic www.english-heritage.org.uk
canals and rivers.
www.britishwaterways.co.uk/be-part-of-it/ Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens
volunteering Supports community groups running farms,
www.britishwaterways.co.uk/be-part-of-it/third- gardens, allotments and other green spaces.
sector-partnerships www.farmgarden.org.uk/

Fields in Trust
BTCV Providing support and guidance to help communities
Conservation charity that encourages volunteers to protect local outdoor sports and play spaces.
to create, ‘a better environment where people www.fieldsintrust.org/
are valued, included and involved. BTVC provide
insurance for community groups working on, GreenSpace
managing and owning public spaces. A charity working to improve parks and green spaces
by raising awareness, involving communities and
Local action: talks about how to set-up and manage creating skilled professionals. Includes resources
a group, it also covers some of the basic issues and a network for park friends’ groups.
around risk, safety and liability etc.
handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/
chapter/762 Groundwork
A group of charities that help people and organisations
Urban handbook: acknowledging that most of and create better neighbourhoods.
the public spaces likely to be offered for transfer www.groundwork.org.uk
will be in urban settings.
handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/ National Trust
chapter/103 Works to preserve and protect the buildings,
countryside and coastline of England, Wales
Environments for all: talks about the inclusion and Northern Ireland, through conservation,
agenda and what considerations should be taken. learning and discovery.
handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/ www.nationaltrust.org.uk
chapter/833

All can be purchased from BTCV shop:

shop.btcv.org.uk/shop/level2/59/level

38
Natural England
An independent public body set up to protect and
improve England’s natural environment and encourage
people to enjoy and get involved in their surroundings.
Includes lessons learned from the Doorstep Greens
initiative:

NCVO
Provides advice and support to people working in,
or with, the voluntary sector, including publications,
training and forums.
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk

Play England
Provides advice and support to promote good practice
in play provision include briefing papers on the benefits
of play and quality standards.
www.playengland.org.uk

Sport England
A public body that provides advice and funding for
community sports activities and help to protect
playing fields.
www.sportengland.org

The Glass-House Community Led Design

A charity that supports and encourages better
working partnerships between communities and
professionals who are working together to improve
the quality of a neighbourhood.
www.theglasshouse.org.uk

The Land Trust

Provides a cost-effective management solution
for public open spaces.
www.thelandtrust.org.uk

The Wildlife Trusts

There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK that work
for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone.
www.wildlifetrusts.org

39
Transfer of public space ownership and CABE
1 Kemble Street
management from local authorities London WC2B 4AN
to community groups is on the rise. T 020 7070 6700
F 020 7070 6777
Local people want a greater say in how E [email protected]
www.cabe.org.uk
their local parks and public spaces are
managed and, as budgets tighten, local
authorities want to maximise the help
that communities can offer. This guide,
for local authorities and community
groups, is an introduction to the issues
involved, based on the learning from a
range of case studies across England.