A new initiative to advise communities on how to take over land owned by councils is being held next month.
Introduced in 2015, the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act means groups can apply to acquire land and property which is owned by public authorities but not listed for sale.
Last month Argyll and Bute agreed to hand over land at Dervaig on Mull, valued at £30,000, to a community group for just £100.
And now the council has put information about the process on its website, and is holding a community empowerment event to advise the public at the Three Villages Hall in Arrochar on March 11.
Registered community transfer bodies can make applications to public authorities to acquire land and property which is not listed for sale.
The council website says there is a presumption of approval – unless there are ‘reasonable grounds for the council to refuse the request’.
The council says that the Act and associated guidance does not specify what reasonable grounds for refusal would be – these would depend on the circumstances of each individual case.
The event in Arrochar will see speakers from the Scottish Community Development Centre, the Community Ownership Support Service, Community Land Scotland and the Democratic Society giving presentations on aspects of community empowerment.
Robin Currie, policy lead for community and culture, said: “These new web pages are a fantastic resource for community groups who want to learn more about the new asset transfer process.
“The pages provide advice, support and key contact details for community groups looking to use the new asset transfer framework created by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act.
“They are still being added to – if you can’t find what you are looking for please don’t hesitate to contact our social enterprise team on 01700 501370 or email asset-transfer@argyll-bute.gov.uk
“If you have not received an invite to the community empowerment event on 11th March and are interested in attending please register at the website. “
Leave a Reply