December 2018 update
Great news – Ruscombe Chapel and Schoolroom is back in the hands of a village congregation. We got the keys on Friday 7th December and have already begun cleaning and getting it in shape to welcome people through the doors.
We will be holding a variety of all kinds of services, such as messy church for children, an interactive church for adults with their children and any other type of services the community would like. We have had offers from Ministers to take services, offers of meditation and choirs. We are open to all suggestions and look forward to hearing from you all.
Further to the Parish Council questionnaire results and our own surveys, we are anticipating holding the sort of activities that people have suggested. Once the kitchen is up to it, we anticipate starting a Pensioners lunch club. There will also be concerts and we are happy that the organ is in fine working order. Another suggestion was a cinema once a month. Or course, as we only had the news on Friday, it will take time for a full programme to be confirmed, but we will share this as soon as we can. Meanwhile, we look forward for suggestions, offers and bookings.
As much help as possible is welcome from anyone interested. Any skills appreciated: plastering, painting, carpentry, gardening, plumbing – you name it we need it!
The Congregational Federation have been very generous and are helping in a number of ways, but there is no cash at all at the moment, so we will be relying on generosity until we get going.
Brenda Brooks, Chris Brian, Helen Appleyard
Background
Ruscombe Chapel and School Room were registered as a Asset of Community Value in April 2015.
The Congregational Federation resolved to put the building up for sale, which means it has to go through the process under the Localism Act legislation.
Once a community asset has been successfully nominated as an asset of community value, the next stage of the Right to Bid process is triggered when and if the owner wishes to dispose of the freehold, or leasehold of at least 25 years.
The owner who wants to sell an asset of community value which appears on the local authority’s list must notify the local authority of their intention to do so. The land is registered as a Local Land Charge. Community interest groups will then have six weeks to lodge a non-binding expression of interest, in which case a window of opportunity of six months, will come into effect to delay the sale.
The full moratorium period exists to afford community interest groups sufficient time to prepare and raise money to bid for the property, potentially in competition with other interested parties.
Unlike the wider range of bodies that can nominate an asset for listing, any bid for the asset in the initial six week moratorium period can only be submitted by a non-profit distributing community interest group – i.e. a legally constituted organisation such as a charity, a company limited by guarantee, an Industrial and Provident Society, a Community Interest Company (CIC) or a Parish Council. Other than a parish council, all the other bodies take time to be constituted and become effective. It is therefore advantageous for them to be set up prior to the moratorium, rather than wait for the sale to be announced.
During the moratorium period, the owner may market and pursue discussions about the sale with whomever they choose, but may not exchange contracts other than with a community interest group. However, it is important to understand that there is no right of first refusal for a community interest group. In fact the asset could be sold to an alternative community group during the activated moratorium period. At the end of the moratorium period the owner will be free to sell to whomever they wish, at the price they wish to accept. If a bid is not made by a community interest group, the owner will not be subject to a further moratorium for a protected period of 18 months.