Community Right to Bid

What is the Community Right to Bid?

The Community Right to Bid was introduced by the Localism Act 2011 and came into force on 21 September 2012.

Every neighbourhood has a building or land which is valued by the community, such as a pub or a village shop, a library or a playground, a community centre or a swimming pool.  Previously the community was largely excluded from any part in the closure or sale of these amenities.

The Community Right to Bid now gives those voluntary and community groups with a local connection the opportunity to nominate such land and buildings to be included on the list of Assets of Community Value. If the owner wants to sell the listed Asset of Community Value, they must first tell the council. The council will inform the nominating community group or voluntary organization of the intended sale.

What does it mean?

Those community groups which are interested in bidding for the listed Asset of Community Value may then notify the Council of their interest, after which any proposed sale is subject to a moratorium of 6 months in order to enable the community group to secure funding and bid for the asset.

It’s a right to bid not to buy. The owner can reject that bid and sell to whomever he chooses at any price he chooses but only upon the expiry of the moratorium period. Only then can the owner can do anything to the land or the building that he could have lawfully done before the land or building was listed as an Asset of Community Value.

The listing of the land or building will be for up to five years. The authority may remove the Asset of Community Value from the list if it forms the view that the asset is no longer of community value.

See the Nomination Form and Guidance in the documents section for more information on:
• The Process
• What is an Asset of Community Value?
• What Information does a nomination need to contain?
• What are the consequences of listing land or buildings as Assets of Community Value?

For all other queries about Community Right to Bid please contact the Licensing and Local Land Charges team: crtb@testvalley.gov.uk or telephone: 01264 368000