What it is
Eligible organisations have the right to request to own, lease, or manage any council-owned land or building that they think they could make better use of.
Who can apply
To request an asset transfer, organisations must be community-controlled and have a written constitution. Organisations can be:
- unincorporated – for example, a registered charity, community group, or sports club
- incorporated as a limited company, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), or a community benefit company.
Only incorporated organisations can request to fully own an asset.
Your written constitution must clearly state:
- a definition of the community that your organisation relates to – for example, your organisation may represent the community in a specific area or people with a shared characteristic
- that membership is open to any member of the community
- that the majority of members should consist of members of the community
- that members have control of the organisation
- your organisation’s goals and purposes – at least one of the purposes must clearly be for the benefit of the community
- that on winding up the organisation, any surplus assets can only be transferred for the benefit of the community.
Download our Community Asset Transfer readiness checklist to check if your organisation is eligible for an asset transfer.
Download our full guidance for transfer bodies for more information.
Email us at communityassettransfer@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you’re not sure whether your organisation is eligible or if you have any other questions.
Before you apply
Review the asset register
Before making an asset transfer request, you need to identify the land or property that you want to have control over.
You can view a list of all of the assets that are owned or leased by the council and could be suitable for asset transfer.
Email us at communityassettransfer@renfrewshire.gov.uk for help to identify a suitable asset for your needs.
Decide if you want to own, lease, or manage the asset
Before making an asset transfer request, you need to decide if you want to:
- own the asset outright (purchase it from the council)
- lease it, and for how long
- have rights over the asset.
Only incorporated organisations can request to fully own an asset.
View a full guide on the asset transfer process and making a request (Scottish Government website).
Contact us
Before you apply for an asset transfer, you should email us at communityassettransfer@renfrewshire.gov.uk to discuss your ideas. We’re committed to working with community organisations interested in asset transfer and can provide advice on eligibility, the availability of assets, and the process and guidance to follow.
How to apply
There are 2 stages to the application process.
Email all forms to communityassettransfer@renfrewshire.gov.uk.
1. Expression of interest
The expression of interest provides information on the applicant, asset being requested, and proposal for the asset. Once reviewed, we’ll ask applicants to complete a full asset transfer request.
2. Full asset transfer request
You should only make a full asset transfer request following feedback on an expression of interest. This is your formal application. You’ll need to provide detailed information on the proposed use of the asset, the benefits of transferring the asset, support for the asset transfer, and your ability to sustain the asset (including financial projections).
After you apply
Once we’ve received a full asset transfer request, we’ll formally acknowledge the request and publish it on our website.
Members of the public will have 20 working days to make representations (share their views) for or against new requests. We’ll share these with the applicant so they have the opportunity to respond.
An officer panel will review the request and any representations. The panel will make a recommendation to the council’s Community Asset Transfer Subcommittee, which will make the final decision on whether to approve or refuse the request.
We’ll send the applicant a formal decision notice, which will explain our decision, within 6 months of receiving the application.
Following a decision
We can approve, refuse, or amend an asset transfer request.
If we approve a request, the applicant must make a formal offer through their solicitor. The asset transfer request will conclude only once all conveyancing is complete.
If we refuse or amend a request, the applicant can request a review of the decision and can then also appeal to Scottish Ministers.