Community Lettings Business Plan Template

Community Lettings Business Plan Template

Introduction

This document has been produced as a template to assist community groups in applying to lease Council owned land and/or property under the terms of a community lease.

The template should be completed in full and submitted alongside all applications made.

Community Lettings Business Plan Template

Section 1 – About the group

Lead applicant

This section requires groups to nominate a representative who will act as the first point of contact in respect of their application for a community lease of Doncaster Council land and/or property.

Name of lead applicant
Address
Postcode
Telephone number
Email address
Relationship to the group applying for a community lease

Constitution

Applications will only be considered from community groups within the Third Sector as detailed beneath, or from Town/Parish Councils. Please confirm the status of your group.

Community Group and Voluntary Organisations
Unincorporated association
Charitable trust
Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
Charitable company
Social Enterprises
Partnership and limited liability partnership
Limited company
Community interest company
Industrial and provident society (co-operative)
Development trust and social firm
Local Government
Town Council
Parish Council

Section 2 – About the land and/or building

This section requires groups to confirm the land and/or building they are interested in leasing from the Council and the outline terms under which they would be seeking to occupy.

Name of land and/or property
Address
Postcode
Proposed use
Length of lease required
Full market rent of the land and/or property applied for (as advertised)

Section 3 – Business Plan

Governance

Applicants must be able to demonstrate good governance by operating through open and accountable processes, with adequate monitoring, evaluation and financial management systems and be able to provide copies of the accounts of the organisation to Doncaster Council on request. Please describe beneath how governance is managed by your group

Governance arrangements(500 words max)

Young People’s Engagement

Please explain how you intend to meet the minimum requirements in relation to engaging and supporting young people:

• 10 hours of dedicated provision for young people (of school age up to and including 19 years) each week (to be delivered by your organisation or a third party);
• Provision should be directed by young people and available at times when they are likely to access the building. This will form part of a condition of the lease agreement.

Include your approach to involving young people, safeguarding, dealing with challenging behaviour and the anticipated numbers of young people you aim to support.

Young People’s Engagement (1000 words max)

Community Objectives

Please outline your community benefit objectives. These should be well defined. Evidence should be provided to demonstrate that your group have the skills and capacity within, or available to, your managing body to effectively deliver services and manage the asset that is the subject of the application.

Community objectives(500 words max)

Community Engagement

Please provide information to demonstrate that your group can engage in economic, environmental or social regeneration in Doncaster or be providing a service of community benefit in line with Doncaster’s core objectives. This section of the plan should also provide evidence of local need and demand for the activities being proposed.

Community engagement(500 words max)

Sustainability

Please demonstrate that you have established how much space is required to deliver the proposals being put forward, and how any surplus space or gaps in building utilisation can be used to maximise opportunities to ensure sustainability, for example through income generation for the hiring of space within the building and/or facilities therein by the hour. Applicants should be aware that the sub-letting of buildings occupied under a community lease is not permitted.

Sustainability(500 words max)

Property Management

This section of the plan should outline how the premises will be managed on a day to day basis. It should demonstrate a clear understanding of health and safety issues on the part of the group and cover compliance with legislation/statutory requirements arising from management of the physical asset subject to the transfer.

Property management(500 words max)

Community Cohesion

Please provide an outline of how your group will embrace diversity and work to improve community cohesion and reduce inequalities. Any proposed use of Doncaster Council’s land and property assets should ensure extensive reach into the community and be open to all.

Community cohesion(500 words max)

Section 4 – Financial information

(a)Please attach a copy of your most recent annual accounts (if you a new enterprise part year accounts/budget forecasts)

(b)Rent payable

Lease agreements shall be negotiated from a starting point of full market rental value. A discounting framework may be applied based upon key areas that will include:

• Expectation of the group to be responsible for all running costs including repairs, maintenance and insurance

• Requirement for the group to invest in the building during the term of the lease

• The turnover being generated by the registered charity.

• Evidence of the benefits that the applicant will bring to the local community.

Please outline below financial information to support your business plan including:-

• Budget:

What money do you need to achieve this plan?

• Major equipment:

What money do you need for one-off items?

• Revenue Costs:

What money do you need for people, administration, service provision, promotion, fundraising, stock, premises running costs?

• Income generation strategy

How are you going to find/raise this money?

• Financial prospect:

Are your income generation ideas tried and tested or subject to risk?

• A rental proposal.

To include the rental you would propose to pay to Doncaster Council for a lease of the premises

Also to include any charging arrangements you would propose to put in place for Doncaster Council’s use of the premises for up to 3 hours per week, should the Council’s use of the premises be capable of incorporation within your proposal (and how these rates may scale up for additional hours, if applicable).

(Please continue your financial plan on a separate sheet if required).

Financial Plan

Please complete Appendix 1 Cashflow Forecast and attach a printed copy with your submitted application.

A cashflow forecast is essential in managing finances - particularly if you are a new venture, or developing your organisation to take on a community asset. It enables your organisation to ensure you have a sustainable proposal by supporting you with information which will help with:

Identifying potential shortfalls in cash balances

Enable you to see when problems or cash shortfalls are likely to occur so you can plan to avoid them

Ensure you have enough cash to pay suppliers and employees

Please complete the Cashflow forecast for Years 1 and 2 of your letting proposal – simply type in the estimated monthly income and costs and the sheet calculates your financial position at the end of each month and each year.

Section 5 – Standard terms of agreement

The following are standard terms of agreement that are non negotiable.

Landlord & Tenant Act

The agreement will be contracted out of Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.

Repair and maintenance responsibilities

In all circumstances, the agreement will require the group to be responsible for the full cost of insuring, repairing, on-going maintenance and complying with all statutory requirements in relation to the asset leased for the duration of the agreement.

Lease covenants

All agreements will contain the necessary covenants to ensure that the group adheres to the principles and criteria of the community lettings policy.

Break clause

All agreements shall contain a break option in favour of the Council. The Council will consider requests made by groups for a reciprocal break clause.

Section 6 – Confirmation

I confirm that all information provided is to the best of my knowledge accurate and complete.

Name
(Please print clearly)
Signature
Date

Section 7 – Useful Contacts

For Community Lettings policy and procedure enquiries:

Gillian Fairbrother

Assets Manager, Project Co-ordinator

Assets & Property

Civic Office

Waterdale

Doncaster DN1 3BU

Telephone:(01302) 862561

Email:

For Business Planning support and advice:

Business Doncaster

Civic Office

Waterdale

Doncaster DN1 3BU

Telephone:(01302) 862460

Email:

For advice and support for Voluntary & Community organisations including brokering partnerships and consortia:

New Horizons Doncaster

Oxford House

6th Avenue

Robin Hood Airport

Doncaster

DN9 3GG

Tel: 01302 773366

Beverley Harrison – Project Lead

Email:

Julie Cox – Development Worker

Email:

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