Murray Hall Community Trust (MHCT) was a well established anchor organisation, with a presence in Sandwell since 1994. They were locally-led and deeply rooted in the community. They had strong partnerships with the council and with other voluntary and community groups and had taken a community development approach to all aspects of their work (responding to service users views, enabling people to do more for themselves). They had already demonstrated their ability to attract capital funding and manage complex refurbishment projects in the initial phases of transformation of the building.
The proposed asset transfer accorded with the principles set out in the strategy where Strategic Assets & Land would proactively lead discussions with community groups about the possibility of undertaking Community Asset Transfers. Transfers would be undertaken in accordance with the Council’s policy on Community Asset Transfers. They would only happen if officers were satisfied that a clear sustainable plan was in place to maintain the asset and that further calls on the Council for support were unlikely.
Decision type: Non-key - Low
Decision status: Recommendations Approved