Community Right to Bid

The Community Right to Bid aims to keep valued land and buildings such as your local pub, shop, library or football ground in community use.

You can nominate land and buildings to be part of a register of assets of community value

If something on this register is offered for sale, you then have up to 6 months to prepare a bid to buy it, if and when they come onto the market.

We manage the list and have to maintain a register of nominated assets and unsuccessful nominations.

Who can nominate

The voluntary or community groups which can nominate are:

  • parish councils or neighbouring parish councils
  • unincorporated groups with a membership of 21 local people
  • neighbourhood forums as defined within the Localism Act 2011
  • community interest groups with a local connection that are a:
    • charity
    • community interest company
    • non-profit company limited by guarantee
    • non-profit distributing industrial and provident society

Assets

Assets have to be property or land which contribute to the social wellbeing of the local community (or has done in the recent past).

Social interest uses can include cultural, recreational and sporting interests.

Examples include village pubs, shops, schools, community centres, a swimming pool, library buildings. 

Assets of community value cannot be:

  • residential properties and associated land
  • land licensed for use as a caravan site
  • operational land used for transport, and other infrastructures

More information on the criteria the asset needs to meet is in Section 88 of the Localism Act 2011

The government has also produced a non-statutory advice note which gives further guidance. 

Nominate an asset

To nominate an asset, you need to:

We will make a decision on the land or property within 8 weeks of the nomination.

If the asset is listed, the owner can request a review of the decision.

Moratorium

Once an asset is listed nothing will happen until the owner decides to dispose of the asset, either by:

  • selling the freehold
  • granting a lease of at least twenty-five years

The owner will notify us that they intend to dispose of the land. We will then inform the community group.

The community group have 6 weeks to make a written request to be treated as a potential bidder. The owner cannot dispose of the asset in this 6-week period.

If no request is received the owner can dispose of the asset after the 6-week period.

If the group do make a request, they will have 6 months to prepare a bid. The owner cannot dispose of the asset in this 6-month period.

After the end of the 6-month period the owner is free to sell the asset to whoever they choose at whatever price they choose.

More information

You can read more about the Community Right to Bid on the Government’s My Community Website

Contact information

Office
Legal Services
Harlow Council
Civic Centre
The Water Gardens
College Square
Harlow
CM20 1WG