Community Asset Transfer case study: Hay-on-Wye Cheese Market

Background

The Hay-on-Wye Community Enterprise CIC (HCECIC) wished to be granted a lease at a nominal rent to allow the organisation to apply for a Community Asset Transfer grant under the Big Lottery Fund/Heritage Lottery Fund and restore the building into a community facility and therefore completed a PCC business case and structural survey. 

The property was acquired originally by the Urban District Council of Hay and is subject to a number of restrictive covenants limiting its use.

Business

In response to the public consultation carried out in 2008, there was a clear mandate by the people of Hay-on-Wye to support Powys County Council’s transfer of the Cheese Market building, at a nominal amount, to HCECIC to ensure its continuous use for the benefit of local residents and visitors. 

The building will enable HCECIC to raise further inward investment that will support the local economy and job creation in the short term. 

Using the building as a launch for the other initiatives, HCECIC’s plan will, in the medium to long term, enable a number of viable job creating enterprises to be established that, over time, will support a thriving local economy. 

The building will also bring social benefits from the initiatives hosted there that will benefit all the residents of Hay and visitors. HCECIC renovated the building using environmentally sustainable materials and methods and promote this as an example of good practice within the constraints of renovating a Grade II listed building.

Details 

The HCECIC planned to renovate the building, creating community space on the ground floor whilst renovating the first floor into a holiday let which would provide vital revenue income. 

The initial request for a Community Asset Transfer was made to PCC in 2009. The council, having considered the business case, agreed to grant a long lease at nominal rental, which allowed the group to formalise its grant applications. 

A long lease was completed in the summer of 2013 following the confirmation of funding.

Benefits

• A landmark listed building has been sensitively preserved evidencing traditional building methods;
• The scheme involved comprehensive community engagement via numerous events; and
• A landmark building has been preserved for community use and enjoyment.

Lessons Learned

With the challenges of dealing with a listed building that needs repair and is subject to legal restrictions, never underestimate the time it will take to reach key milestones. 

This project has taken over four years to complete and is now at a stage where the group can start to realise its goals.

Further information