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Cambridge City Council

Right to Bid scheme: Assets of community value

This page lists all buildings and land that are included or have been nominated for inclusion in our register of assets of community value under the Right to Bid scheme.

Properties remain on the register for five years. If a property on the register is put up for sale, community organisations have up to six months to buy it before it can be sold on the open market.

We have listed all former nominations below the successful and unsuccessful nominations. You might find this information useful if you are considering nominating a property.

Intention to sell

We have received notices of intent to sell the following assets.

Former library on Mill Road

  • Date received: 12 February 2024
  • End of six-week interim moratorium: 25 March 2024
  • End of six-month full moratorium: 12 August 2024
  • End of the protected period: 12 August 2025

The interim moratorium is the period in which a qualifying community interest group must notify the council if it wishes to be treated as a potential bidder to buy the asset.

The full moratorium is the period in which a qualifying community interest group (which has told the council it wishes to be treated as a potential bidder) has to develop a proposal and raise the money required to buy the asset.

Once any moratorium period has finished, the same owner can sell the asset during the remainder of the ‘protected period’ without having to comply with the section 95 requirements again.

Our frequently asked questions [PDF, 0.2MB] document provides guidance on how we will administer and process applications.

Nominations pending consideration

There are currently no nominations pending consideration.

Successful nominations

The following properties were considered to meet the criteria for being listed as a community asset.

East Barnwell Community Centre

  • Address: 660 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8RS
  • Nominated by: Abbey People CIO
  • Date of decision: 26 March 2021
  • Reference number: 2021-200004202833

Elfleda Road Allotments

  • Address: Elfleda Road, Cambridge CB5 8LZ
  • Nominated by: Whitehill Allotment Society
  • Date of decision: 12 June 2023
  • Reference number: 2023-WF-PLHSXDJX-001

The benefits to the health and wellbeing of local residents were recognised and well demonstrated with additional biodiversity benefits. The allotment is well positioned in an area of growth and has a waiting list, suggesting the land will continue to provide community value.

Peverel Road Allotments

  • Address: Peverel Road, Cambridge CB5 8RH
  • Nominated by: Whitehill Allotment Society
  • Date of decision: 12 June 2023
  • Reference number: 2023-WF-PLHSXDJX-002

The benefits to the health and wellbeing of local residents were recognised and well demonstrated with additional biodiversity benefits. The allotment is well positioned in an area of growth and has a waiting list, suggesting the land will continue to provide community value.

Former library on Mill Road

  • Address: Headley Street, Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AZ
  • Nominated by: Petersfield Area Community Trust
  • Date of decision: 25 January 2024
  • Reference number: 2024-WF-PCBTWGFZ-001

The following qualifying groups asked to be treated as potential bidders for the land:

  • Sew Positive CIO
  • Petersfield Area Community Trust (PACT) CIO

The six-month restriction on entering into a relevant disposal of the land continues to apply. After 30 July 2024 it will not apply for a further eighteen months, ending on 8 August 2025.

Unsuccessful nominations

There have been no unsuccessful nominations in the last five years.

Previous nominations

The following applications were removed from the register of successful or unsuccessful nominations after five years.

Former library, Mill Road/Indian Community and Culture Association

  • Address: Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AZ
  • Nominated by: Petersfield Area Community Trust
  • Date of decision: 10 July 2018
  • Reference number: 2018-200004292176

The nomination was successful. However, prior to expiry, during the six weeks beginning with the date of receipt of a notice under section 95(6) of the Localism Act 2011, we received a request from the following qualifying groups to be treated as a potential bidder in relation to the land to which this notice relates:

  • Cambridge Hindu Association
  • Petersfield Area Community Trust
  • Jamia Almaarif

Elfleda Road allotment

  • Address: Elfleda Road, Cambridge
  • Nominated by: Whitehill Allotment Society
  • Date of decision: 1 May 2018
  • Reference number: 2017-200004212297

The nomination was successful but has now expired. We received a new nomination for this allotment. This nomination was approved on 12 June 2023.

Peverel Road allotment

  • Address: Peverel Road, Cambridge CB5 8RQ
  • Nominated by: Whitehill Allotment Society
  • Date of decision: 1 May 2018
  • Reference number: 2017-200004212891

The nomination was successful but has now expired. We received a new nomination for this allotment. This nomination was approved on 12 June 2023.

Little Gym

  • Address: Units 1-3, Chesterton Mill, Frenchs Road, Cambridge CB4 3NP
  • Nominated by: Friends of The Little Gym Cambridge
  • Date of decision: 20 January 2017
  • Reference number: 2016-200004202577

The nomination was unsuccessful – we did not consider the property to meet the criteria or be likely to do so within five years. The property did in part improve the social wellbeing and interests of the gym community, but this was secondary to the property’s main use. There was insufficient evidence of frequent and wider use by the general local community to demonstrate otherwise.

The Hopbine

  • Address: 11-12 Fair Street, Cambridge CB1 1HA
  • Nominated by: Campaign for Real Ale (Camra)
  • Date of decision: 23 February 2016
  • Reference number: 2015-200004202561

The nomination was unsuccessful. While the property increased the social wellbeing or interests of the local community, this was ancillary to its main use and there was not enough evidence of community use to demonstrate otherwise.

The Castle Inn

  • Address: Castle Street, Cambridge CB3 0JH
  • Nominated by: Campaign for Real Ale (Camra)
  • Date of decision: 25 January 2016
  • Reference number: 2015-200004162168

The nomination was unsuccessful. While the property increased the social wellbeing or interests of the local community, this was ancillary to its main use and there was not enough evidence of community use to demonstrate otherwise.

Hope and Nursing Care Home

  • Address: 17 Almoners Avenue, Cambridge CB2 8BQ
  • Nominated by: Keep the Hope
  • Date of decision: 10 July 2015
  • Reference number: 2015-010002569152

The nomination was unsuccessful. The Assets of Community Value (England) Regulations 2012 lists categories of land that are not of community value and therefore may not be listed – this includes a residence together with land connected to that residence. Land that is only partly used as a residence can be listed if, except for the residential use of the building, the land would be eligible for listing. We considered that the main use of the land was as a residential nursing and care home and convent, and that the events attended by the local community as described in the application were ancillary to the residential use of the land.

The Red Cow

  • Address: Corn Exchange Street, Cambridge CB2 3QF
  • Nominated by: Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), Cambridge and District branch
  • Date of decision: 23 June 2015
  • Reference number: 2015-200004202588

The nomination was unsuccessful. The property met some of the criteria – it had made a contribution to community value at times in the recent past – but we considered it unlikely that the property would be used to further the social wellbeing or interests of the local community within the next five years.

Cambridge Squash Club

  • Address: 295 Histon Road Cambridge, CB4 3NF
  • Nominated by: Save Cambridge Squash Club
  • Date of decision: 18 February 2015
  • Reference number: 2015-200004193855

The nomination was successful. The property owner notified us of their intent to dispose of the property on 26 September 2018. We agreed to remove the property from the register on 22 October 2018, as the property no longer met the criteria.

Sturton Street Methodist Church and Church Hall

  • Address: 58 Sturton Street Cambridge CB1 2QA
  • Nominated by: Sturton Street Save our Space
  • Date of decision: 18 August 2014
  • Reference number: 2014-200004177426

The nomination was successful. The property owner notified us of their intent to dispose of the property on 1 September 2014. The Petersfield Area Community Trust with Sturton Street Save our Space notified us on 11 September 2014 of their intent to bid for the asset.

Royal British Legion Hall

  • Address: Fisher’s Lane, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 9HR
  • Nominated by: Cherry Hinton Residents Association
  • Date of decision: 28 November 2013
  • Reference number: 2013-200004211437

The nomination was successful. The property owner notified us of their intent to dispose of the property on 13 March 2014. The initial six-week interim moratorium period expired without a notification of interest from a qualifying community interest group. There was then a protected period of 18 months during which time there could be no moratorium on disposal of the hall. The hall was sold after this. It has since been demolished (application 15/0139/DEMDET) and the site has been redeveloped (application 15/1111/FUL).

St Colette’s School

  • Address: Tenison Road, Cambridge CB1 2DP
  • Nominated by: Residents of Highsett, Tenison Avenue and Tenison Road
  • Date of decision: 26 July 2013
  • Reference number: 2012-010002565578

The nomination was unsuccessful because the site did not meet the criteria and was not likely to do so within five years.

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