Chris Donkin (London Sport Strategic Lead for Active Environments) has been in conversation with London Funders and Ethical Property Network discussing the challenges faced by community centres across London.
He found:
- It’s highly likely that the challenges outlined here will be ones that community organisations delivering sport and physical activity will also be encountering
- Lots of spaces are currently at risk
- Distorted land values, after infrastructure improvements, are pushing up the cost of rents and resulting in landlords taking back spaces or selling
- Existing funding sources are very competitive
- Section 106 agreements are lapsing and spaces are being lost as a result. Charities lack skills to take this on
- Lease lengths are decreasing – short notice terminations are becoming more common. Landlords don’t want assets tied into long leases that restrict options
- Short leases impact community organisations ability raise capital for refurbishments
- Many available spaces are unaffordable and so sit empty, which pushes up prices further
- Property teams in councils are under great pressure to bring in income
- Need to be better at measuring the social impact of community centres. Community sector is behind the private sector on this issue, and this means down the pecking order when it comes to use of assets
- There is a lack of capital funding and costs of renovation are escalating, so it’s harder to create safer environments