Community Ownership Support Service (COSS)
Community Assets
Physical assets are often central to place-based approaches as an anchor point for the community. Locally led organisations with assets can play a supportive and collaborative role in the community, bringing together a range of organisations and delivering important services.
Communities can play a key role in regeneration of an area through the use of assets. They can protect local services and make use of facilities that may otherwise be lost. In many instances this can reverse economic decline of area and help attract investment. When control is closer to community it can allow better stewardship of assets and more intensive use based on community needs and aspirations.
There are a number of routes available for communities to acquire assets. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 introduced new legislation that gave communities a right to request to buy, lease, manage or use land and buildings belonging to local authorities, Scottish public bodies or Scottish Ministers (relevant authorities). In addition, there are also now three sperate Community Right to Buy options for communities who wish to acquire privately owned land.
Advice and support from the Community Ownership Support Service
The Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) is funded by the Scottish Government to support community groups across Scotland take a stake in or ownership of land and buildings.
They work with communities who wish to take on public assets through the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) process as well as supporting communities who wish to undertake Community Right to Buy (CRtB).
This free, advisor-led service is delivered Scotland-wide and provides individual community groups with a bespoke support service. Their support includes:
- Expert advice on all aspects of community ownership
- Training courses on community ownership and development processes.
- Sign-posting to other support agencies
- Web access to information on good practice, toolkits and case studies
For more information on COSS visit:
https://dtascommunityownership.org.uk