The community right to bid gives the local community the right to nominate important local land or buildings for listing as assets of community value. This means that if they are then put up for sale, local community groups can delay the sale so they can prepare a bid to buy the asset and take it over.
The local land or buildings could be your local:
- village shop
- pub
- community centre
- childrens centre
- allotment
- library
Community nomination
The following bodies can make community nominations:
- the local or neighbouring parish Council
- a voluntary or community body with a local connection
This includes:
- neighbourhood forums
- unincorporated bodies (with at least 21 local members) that dont distribute any surplus to its members
- charities
- companies limited by guarantee which dont distribute any surplus
- industrial and provident societies which dont distribute any surplus
- community interest companies
A voluntary or community group has a local connection if:
- its activities are wholly or partly concerned with the local authoritys area, or the area of a neighbouring local authority
- it applies any surplus it makes for the benefit of the local authorities areas
The nomination must be in writing, by letter or e-mail. It should be submitted by e-mail to council@southend.gov.uk, or by letter to the Southend-on-Sea City Council Asset Management Team, Support Services, Civic Centre, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS2 6ER.
The written nomination must include:
- a description of the nominated land, including its boundaries
- a statement of all the information held by the nominator on:
- the names of current occupants
- the names and last-known addresses of everybody holding a freehold or leasehold estate in the land
- the nominators reasons for thinking that the land is of community value
- evidence that the nominator is eligible to make a nomination
We will not accept nominations that do not include this information.
What happens next?
When we get a community nomination, we decide within 8 weeks whether the land should be included in the List of Assets of Community Value.
We tell the following that we have received and are considering a community nomination:
- the local parish Council (if one exists)
- the owner of the land
- where the owner is not the freeholder, the holder of the freehold
- any leaseholder
- any lawful occupants of the land
If we accept the nomination we will then include the land on the list.
If the nomination is not accepted, we must give the person making the nomination the reasons in writing for our decision, but there is no right of appeal or review.
If the nomination is accepted, we must give written notice to:
- the nominee
- the parish Council
- the owner and occupier
The owner of the land may ask us, in writing, to review our decision, within 8 weeks of the date of the notice. This timescale can be extended at our discretion.
For more information please see the My Community Rights website.