Locals say Community Asset Transfers may not save SLLC facilities

A dance teacher in Uddingston is telling Clyde 1 News that plans to save the local hall from closure by transferring it to the community could be too difficult to achieve.

In its budget yesterday, South Lanarkshire Council announced £1 million as a 'Community Fight Back Fund' to help keep 37 facilities open until they can be handed to the local community.

It is part of £20 million worth of saving measures this year, and the region's leisure trust, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) went through a three-phase consultation to gauge local priorities.

In response, petitions and protests were held and a cross-party amendment was voted through - allowing venues to remain open a little longer if there is a credible interest in community asset transfer.

READ MORE: South Lanarkshire Council Budget: 'Truly awful and painful' decisions

However, Karen Andrews who has runs Dance Connection from Uddingston Community Centre, has concerns that community asset transfers may not be a viable option to keep halls open.

She said: "The things that involved to get a community asset transfer are difficult, it's like hoops and hurdles.

"You need charitable registered, have a business plan and a business account, have the transfer asset forms filled correctly and make sure we tick all the boxes.

"It takes not one month - it takes three, six or even eight months to get charitable status.

"Once you get that, there's finding a bank that takes charitable business accounts, and then there are forms that go backwards and forwards to the council and to lawyers.

"The barriers that you have to jump through... some people might go ahead and power through but I think other people will feel as though it's a difficult process that takes too long and consumes too much of their time."

Community support

However, council leader Joe Fagan says support would be in place to allow the community time to get the transfer in order.

He told Clyde 1 News: "If South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture decides that it wants to withdraw from one of the 37 facilities that it's currently consulting on the future of, then the community fightback fund could be triggered where there is a credible interest from the community in taking over that asset.

"Communities will not be ready to take over a large number of assets on April 1, so we want to extend the time South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture can be operating those assets until the community is ready.

"That allows the community to build up to the point where they can initiate a community asset transfer, or some other kind of community takeover."

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