Premises

Introduction

All businesses, be they statutory, private or third sector organisations require decent, affordable and accessible premises from which to operate and deliver their services.

Made up of approximately 10,000 third sector organisations of all sizes, from voluntary sector organisations delivering large contracts and community groups providing estate based services, to budding social entrepreneurs , the third sector in East London is vibrant, employing over 40,000 people and economically contributing £4bn to London’s GDP.

At the heart of the capital’s biggest programme of regeneration, with the London Thames Gateway development and London 2012 Paralympics and Olympic Games, the East London CVS Network is strategically poised to support East London’s third sector gain access to quality, affordable and accessible premises.

A vision for the Future

The East London CVS Network would like to see a sub region that:

Offers affordable, modern and accessible premises for the third sector from which they can deliver their services
Is engaged in regular dialogue with regional, sub regional and local planners
Is consulted on future developments to ensure due consideration is given to the needs of the VSC and the wider community
Is considered a valued partner in planning processes

How we will do this

The East London CVS Network in partnership with the local CVS and partners will;

Undertake research to further the development of sustainable and adequate premises in the sub region
Identify and engage with potential partners such as RSL’s, developers private and public land owners in useful dialogue that will better place the sector to help shape new developments and community spaces
Work with the statutory sector to increase awareness and creative ways of working with the sector using money received under section 106 of the Housing Act. For information around the operation of section 106 planning agreements in London: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/plansd/section-106-who-gains.pdf
Learn from and share models of good practice from other sub regions and regions across the country
Engage with regional, pan London and other sub regional networks and statutory bodies to improve skills of third sector managers and staff in the buying, renting and managing of premises

London Infrastructure Development Plan and Local Infrastructure Development Plans

National agency CapacityBuilders tasked each ChangeUp consortia to produce infrastructure development plans. To find out what is written about premises in your borough please see the resources section below and the Local Infrastructure Strategies and Plans (on the ‘ChangeUp – what’s happening locally’ section of this website). Please click on the appropriate links.

To develop a plan for all of London, each of the local plans were read, with the most re-occurring themes being extracted to form the basis of a London Infrastructure Development Plan.

Resources

Below are links to resources that you may find useful.

Asset Management

The Quirk Report – ‘Making Assets Work’ was commissioned to look at community management and the ownership of assets transferred from local authorities and other public sector agencies. Led by Barry Quirk this report looks at the barriers which may be standing in the way of more voluntary and community sector managing and owning assets and recommends ways of we can create an environment to encourage more community management and ownership of assets. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/makingassetswork
Lewisham Community Assets Framework

The Environment Trust
The Environment Trust is a charity and development trust committed to transforming people's living and working environments. Its aim is to achieve sustainable development by improving the social, economic and physical environment for community benefit. http://www.envirotrust.org/

Ethical Property Foundation
Ethical Property Foundation provides independent information, advice and training to organisations leasing, buying or managing premises. By building the sector’s knowledge and confidence around premises issues and ensuring they have access to good professional advice the Foundation aims to make property a boost rather than a burden to charitable organisations. http://www.ethicalproperty.org.uk/

The Greater London Authority London Plan
http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/planning/strategy.jsp

Havering Premises Resource Pack
http:www.havco.org.uk/ChangeUp

London Thames Gateway Planning Information -
http://www.thames-gateway.org.uk/projects-content.asp?id=7
London Regional Consortium [LRC] Premises sub group is a sub group of the London Regional Consortium that advises and helps to guide the wider third sector on premises issues. http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=90560&i1PNID=90276