Community value:

• the main use of the asset (currently or in the past) furthers the social wellbeing or cultural, recreational or sporting interests of the community
• it will continue to further the social wellbeing or interests of the local community, or will do so again in the next five years

Examples could include:

• shops
• community centres
• playing fields

Examples cannot include:

• buildings used as administrative offices
• land or property where community use isn’t the main function

If the owner of a listed asset wants to sell it, they must let us know first. An initial period of six weeks is then given for local community groups to register an interest in making a bid to buy.

If an interest is registered by an eligible voluntary or community body, the asset cannot be sold for six months. This gives time for a proposal to be developed and capital to be raised to bid when the asset comes onto the open market at the end of that period.

Eligible voluntary or community bodies

• unincorporated bodies with at least 21 local individual members who appear on the electoral roll for Barking and Dagenham or a neighbouring local authority, and which do not distribute any surplus they make to their members
• charities
• companies limited by guarantee that do not distribute any surplus they make to their members
• industrial and provident societies that do not distribute any surplus they make to their members
• community interest companies
• neighbourhood forums, as designated under the Town and Country Planning Act

The listing of assets is to allow time for groups to prepare a bid alongside other potential buyers if the asset comes up for sale within 5 years of listing. Any sale, after the 6 month period, takes place under normal market conditions.

The owner is under no obligation to sell to a community group

Community groups that have registered an interest are under no obligation to bid or purchase.

Many different types of land or buildings can be nominated as assets of community value.

Assets of community value examples

Education or health and well-being

Examples include:

• nurseries and schools
• children’s centres
• health centres, GP surgeries and hospitals
• day care centres
• residential care homes

Sport, recreation or culture

Examples include:

• parks and open green spaces
• sports and leisure centres, and swimming pools
• libraries
• theatres and museums
• heritage sites
• cinemas

Community

Examples include:

• community centres
• youth centres
• public toilets

Local democracy

Examples include:

• town and civic halls

Businesses that also provide an important local social benefit which would no longer be available if the business closed

Examples include:

• village shops
• pubs
• markets

How to nominate assets

Use our the community right to bid nomination form to nominate assets of community value. The form is split into five sections which ask questions about your organisation and the asset you are nominating.

CRTB nomination form (DOCX) (DOCX, 39.51 KB)

CRTB nomination form (PDF) (PDF, 87.85 KB)

Nominations must include:

• a description of the asset, including its proposed boundaries clearly marked in red
• information you may have about the current occupiers’ names, and the names and addresses of all those holding a freehold or leasehold estate in the land
• why you think the land is of community value
• proof that you are eligible to make a nomination
• a completed asset nomination form

Submit your nomination

Nominations should be submitted to our Assets Team at the address shown below.

We have eight weeks from receipt of an application to contact your organisation. We will tell you if the asset meets the definition set out in law, or if it falls into one of the excluded categories.

Successful nominations

We will decide if a nominated asset of community value should be included on the list within eight weeks of receiving the nomination form.

If we decide to list an asset, our decision and reasons will be sent to the:

• nominator
• owner of the land
• occupier of the land, if different to the owner
• holder of the freehold estate and the holder of any leasehold estate, if different to the owner
• councillors for the ward

If your nomination has been successful, the details will be published on our list of assets of community value.

Assets will be listed for five years and be notified to the Land Registry as a registered restriction in the land register for the land, and a Local Land Charge.

Ref	Date Nomination Received	Assessment Date	Asset Address	Reason for Decision	Date Asset Listed	Date for Removal (5 years from listing)
January 2022	17 February 2022	11 May 2022	108 Boundary Road, Barking, IG11 7JR	The panel that reviewed the application concluded that the asset nominated met the definition of an asset of community value as set out in section 88 (2) of the Localism Act 2011.	11 May 2022	10 May 2027

Unsuccessful nominations

We will decide whether a nominated asset of community value should be included on the list within eight weeks of receiving the nomination form.

If we decide not to include an asset, our decision and our reasons will be sent to the:

• nominator
• owner of the land
• occupier of the land (if different to the owner)

If your nomination has been unsuccessful, the details will be published on our list of assets of community value nominations.

Assets will be listed for five years and be notified to the Land Registry as a registered restriction in the land register for the land, and a Local Land Charge.

Ref	Date Nomination Received	Assessment Date	Asset Address	Reason for Decision	Date Asset Listed	Date for Removal (5 years from listing)
May 2023	16 May 2023	25 May 2023	47 Thames Road, Barking, IG11 0HQ	The panel that reviewed the application concluded that the asset nominated did not meet the definition of an asset of community value as set out in section 88 (2) of the Localism Act 2011.	N/a	24 May 2028

Disposing of assets

If an owner wishes to dispose of an asset that is included in the list of assets of community value and it is not an exempt disposal, they must notify us in writing.

Notifications should be posted to us at the address shown below.

The list of assets of community value will be updated to show we have received notice of an intention to dispose of the asset, together with the date of that notification and the resulting interim and full moratorium periods and the protected period.

We will notify the original nominator in writing that we have received notice of an intention to dispose of the asset and will publish details in the area where the asset is situated.

Bidding for assets

Groups must send us a completed intention to bid form within six weeks of the notice to dispose of the asset.

This intention may only be submitted by a suitably constituted community interest group that can demonstrate its local connection.

Unincorporated organisations and neighbourhood forums are excluded from bidding.

The law defines ‘community interest group’ for the purpose of rights to bid.

Intention to bid form

CRTB intention to bid form (DOCX, 36.90 KB)

The intention to bid should be submitted in writing together with evidence to support that the bid is being made by a suitably constituted group.

Send your form to the address shown below.

We advise nominators to obtain proof of delivery, either by using recorded receipt postage or by obtaining a receipt for hand-delivered post.

We will pass the intention to bid to the owner of the land, or inform them of the details, as soon as possible after receipt. This will trigger the full six month moratorium period during which the asset cannot be sold.

More information

Flow chart showing more information about the right to bid process:

CRTB bidding process (PDF, 226.71 KB)