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What are Community Rights?

Community Rights give local people and groups a greater say about what happens to local amenities, how local services are delivered or how new development is planned.

Two Community Rights came into effect in April 2012:

• Community Right to Build – giving communities the right to build small-scale, site-specific projects without going through the normal planning application process
• neighbourhood planning – giving communities more say about what can be built in their area

Another Community Right came into force in June 2012:

• Community Right to Challenge – giving communities the right to bid to run local council and fire and rescue authority services where they think they can do it differently and better. The Department for Communities and Local Government has published statutory guidance which explains the legislation in more detail

The Community Right to Bid is expected to come into effect in the Autumn. This will give communities the right to bid to buy and take over the running of local assets that are important to them.

Get more information on all the rights on the Community Rights website, including case studies and a list of available support.

• Community Right to Challenge statutory guidance Opens new window

• Community Rights website Opens new window

What is community asset transfer?

Councils can help local community organisations take on responsibility for buildings or land in their area. This is called 'community asset transfer'. An 'asset' refers to a building or land. 'Asset transfer' is the change in either management or ownership (or both) of a building or land.

This gives local community organisations the chance to:

• keep open a service that the community relies on, which might otherwise close, like a community centre, swimming pool, or library
• bring an underused building or piece of land back into use for a new service
• attract new investment into the area

The Asset Transfer Unit website has practical guidance that can help you through all stages of the transfer process. Your local council's property services team can also help you.

You can also get advice from websites like Community Matters and the Building Community.

• Download 'To have and to hold' a guide to asset transfer from the Asset Transfer Unit (PDF, 2MB) Opens new window

• Contact the ATU Opens new window

• Find your local council Opens new window

• Community Matters Opens new window

• Building Community Opens new window