To report back to the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Community Safety the responses so far received from Harwich Town Council, Frinton & Walton Town Council and Brightlingsea Town Council in respect of their interest in potential Community Asset Transfer. This follows the establishment of a provisional programme of work in January 2026 and formally writing to those Councils seeking their confirmation of participation and feedback on the programme.

The report then sets out recommendations for progressing relevant discussions, amending the work programme accordingly and putting resources in place to oversee the necessary work.

a)    to note the contents of the supporting report and to agree the revised Programme of Work in respect of pre-LGR Community Asset Transfer set out within that report, having received a formal expression of interest from Brightlingsea Town Council and a less advanced confirmation of participation from Harwich Town Council and Frinton & Walton Town Council;

b)    to agree that the focus of the Programme of Work will be to progress the potential transfer of assets to Brightlingsea Town Council, having received its formal expression of interest and to progress the potential transfer of the Columbine Centre in Walton on the Naze to Frinton & Walton Town Council, and to instruct the Corporate Director (Planning and Community) to proceed with the implementation of this programme;

c)    to agree that discussions and the sharing of information related to the potential for the transfer of other assets to Harwich Town Council and Frinton & Walton Town Council can continue, but in line with the Council’s normal approach under its Community Asset Transfer Policy, and not necessarily ahead of LGR and not as part of the defined Programme of Work to be supported by a dedicated resource;  

d)    to note and agree that resource implications will be revisited once there is a clearer indication of costs and that decisions on the budget for appointing external expertise in respect of valuation, business case development/analysis and legal support will be taken by the Cabinet in due course, as would any subsequent decision about the transfer of specific assets; and

e)    to note that Officers are still in the process of administering the Property Dealing Procedure in respect of the potential transfer of the Columbine Centre to Frinton & Walton Town Council having issued draft Heads of Terms in March 2026, with the aim of any such transfer being completed by November 2026.

To revise the previously-agreed Programme of Work in respect of pre-LGR Community Asset Transfer and confirm the focus of work having received a clear expression of interest from Brightlingsea Town Council and feedback from Harwich Town Council and Frinton & Walton Town Council indicating an interest in continued discussion about the potential transfer of assets, but without a firm proposal at this stage as to what assets to include in the scope.

(1)     To continue discussions on an informal basis; or

(2)     To abandon the idea of a managed process of exploring the transfer of groups of assets to Brightlingsea Town Council or others, and simply leave those bodies to come forward with proposals to obtain individual assets or groups of assets, which can be considered against the Council’s current Community Asset Transfer policy and property dealing procedures in the normal, as opposed to a collaborative, way; or

(3)     To build more time into the programme for Harwich Town Council and Frinton & Walton Town Council to develop a clear expression of interest, and for the programme to be adjusted accordingly for all three Councils’ propositions to be assessed and considered at the same time, as originally envisaged.