What is community asset ownership?

Community assets are land or buildings that have current or future potential use for community value. They can be brought into community ownership through a number of routes, and can involve different organisational structures and terms of ownership. 

This guide shows how CAT can support your priorities for your community and the essential role of councillors in making CAT a success. 

We know that councils are under huge pressure, as budgets get tighter and demand for services rises. Many are seeking savings and raising revenue by selling off assets to the private sector, or else leaving much-loved local amenities to fall into disrepair. We think this is the wrong approach.

Not only does it mean that important local buildings are lost to the public forever, selling off public assets can only ever offer the briefest of respites from the pressures that local authorities face. Rather than seeking short-term profits, we believe that councils can create long-term social value through Community Asset Transfer (CAT).

Community Asset Transfer can unlock financial savings and local innovation, enabling community action and supporting resident-led solutions. It can be a genuine route for devolution of control and resources to neighbourhoods, giving people a stake in shaping local development and the local economy.