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Council-owned community assets in Camden. Jeff Hopwood, Community Assets Strategy Lead Camden Council jeff.hopwood@camden.gov.uk. What do we know about what we’ve got?. Children’s centres. Leisure centres. Community centres. Day centres. Schools. Nurseries. TRA halls. Play centres.
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Council-owned community assets in Camden Jeff Hopwood, Community Assets Strategy Lead Camden Council jeff.hopwood@camden.gov.uk
What do we knowabout what we’ve got? Children’s centres Leisure centres Community centres Day centres Schools Nurseries TRA halls Play centres Libraries Parks Voluntary sector Commercial / shops
The Problems • 200+ premises • Variety of occupation arrangements • Need for capital receipts • Need for corporate approach • Need to better understand social value • Desire to empower VCS and continue their independence
Our approach • Rent relief – pragmatic application • Work with VCS to develop a new lease • Community Investment Programme • Assessing social value
Rent relief • For VCOs occupying LBC premises • If client base is: • >90% Camden residents = 100% rent relief • 50-90% Camden residents = 50% rent relief • <50% Camden residents = no rent relief • Awarded from 1st January 2012 to 31st March 2015
The new VCS lease • 20 year lease, outside L&T Act • Market rent less 35% - rent relief awarded separately • 3 year’s notice break option where: • LBC intends to redevelopment • Landlord’s repairing liabilities become excessive • LBC will use all reasonable endeavours to re-provide suitable alternative accommodation • Clarifies responsibilities – on both sides • No need for guarantor or surety • Letter of comfort – pledge to support external funding bids
Community Investment Programme • 15 year plan to invest money in schools, homes and community facilities. • £403m capital funding gap – lost over £200m of capital funding from government • Redeveloping or selling buildings or land that are underused or expensive to maintain • Objective is to raise £300m to: • Deliver 2750 new homes • Invest £178m in 13,000 existing homes • Invest £117m in 58 schools and children’s centres • Provide 9,000m2 of improved community facilities & space
Social value assessment model This model correlates the perceived value of the benefits of services / activities provided from the premises against the cost of the premises to the council. The objective is that premises fall into Quadrant 4 – the greatest impact at the lowest cost. 100% Ext’l£ 50% 100% LBC £ Investment Low impact Camden PlanHigh impact This can also be applied to 3rd party community premises, enabling a comparison with LBC premises in a neighbourhood.
Links and contact • VCS investment & support programme and rent relief – www.camden.gov.uk/vcs • VCS lease - http://democracy.camden.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=4049 item 9, section 5 & appendix 13 • Community Investment Programme – www.camden.gov.uk/cip • Camden Plan – www.camden.gov.uk/camdenplan • Contact - jeff.hopwood@camden.gov.uk