The documentation for the Community Grants Programme has been updated. Interested parties are advised to download the documents afresh.
Key updates include the following:
A. Yes but we would expect an explanation of why the property is empty Small RSLs and other stock-owning organisattions have some opportunity to use the programme to bring existing stock back into use: Q. Are empty properties in the ownership of an eligible organisation (which wishes to apply for funding to bring them back into use) eligible? A. Yes, but the organisation must have a housing allocations policy that meets the published criteria There is weclome clarification on the fact that on-costs (which inlcude development officer time) can be reclaimed. One or two of the answers are, to put it politely, counter-intuitive eg if a property has been squatted the "how-long-empty" clock has to be restarted. This is in line with the current EDMO legislation but will hardly be welcomed by neighbours of an empty home that has been squatted. The FAQs references the stance of the HMRC in accepting the local authority Empty Property Officer's opinion on how long a home has been empty. Although there remains some ambiguity, it is certainly implied that this would apply withint the CGP too: Q. ...Your Local Authority can assist you in claiming a VAT relief by confirming the length of time the property has been empty. This information can be used as evidence that the building has been empty..
- a template for the letter of support from local authorities has been provided
- the scoring of elements within the applications has been updated (the changes are documented on the application form notes)
- a separate form will now be needed for the Project Budget
- the FAQs have been updated
- an extract from the HCA Capital Funding Guide has been provided which indicates what expedniture is eligible to be treated as on-costs
- the CLG explanation of their grant calculation theorectical modeling has been made available for download direct from the Tribal site
A. Yes but we would expect an explanation of why the property is empty Small RSLs and other stock-owning organisattions have some opportunity to use the programme to bring existing stock back into use: Q. Are empty properties in the ownership of an eligible organisation (which wishes to apply for funding to bring them back into use) eligible? A. Yes, but the organisation must have a housing allocations policy that meets the published criteria There is weclome clarification on the fact that on-costs (which inlcude development officer time) can be reclaimed. One or two of the answers are, to put it politely, counter-intuitive eg if a property has been squatted the "how-long-empty" clock has to be restarted. This is in line with the current EDMO legislation but will hardly be welcomed by neighbours of an empty home that has been squatted. The FAQs references the stance of the HMRC in accepting the local authority Empty Property Officer's opinion on how long a home has been empty. Although there remains some ambiguity, it is certainly implied that this would apply withint the CGP too: Q. ...Your Local Authority can assist you in claiming a VAT relief by confirming the length of time the property has been empty. This information can be used as evidence that the building has been empty..