Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to determining eligibility for future rounds of the Community Ownership Fund, if he will include the potential future use of an asset within local communities as a criteria for funding.

The Community Ownership Fund is a £150 million fund over 4 years to support community groups across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community.

We will conduct a review to learn from the first bidding round and the assessment criteria accordingly. Currently, applicants are required to demonstrate the value of the asset to local people and that the asset can run sustainably for the long-term benefit of the community.