Map What You Own, Manage & Influence

To understand capacity, councils must first know what they already have. This forms the baseline for all capacity decisions.

Include:

• Land, buildings, open spaces

• Play areas & sports facilities

• Cemeteries

• Street furniture & lighting

• Allotments

• Benches, bins, signs, bus shelters

• Existing services (events, grants, toilets, grounds maintenance, youth provision)

Resources

• Parish Online asset mapping tool

• Manual Asset Mapping Template

Asset Management & Maintenance Cycles

Councils should understand:

• What level of maintenance each asset needs

• Whether they have the time/staff to manage it

• What it will cost over 1, 5, and 10 years

• Whether contractors are available and affordable

• Whether the council is insured adequately

• Whether asset responsibilities exceed current officer time

Cross-reference

• See Compliance: Asset Register

• See Compliance: Insurance

• GAPTC webinar: Managing Assets

Assessing Capacity for New Assets/Services

This is the core of devolution preparedness. Before agreeing to asset transfers, councils must assess:

Operational capacity

• Do we have the staffing or contractors to maintain it?

• Do we understand legal responsibilities?

• Does the Clerk have time?

Financial capacity

• Can we fund maintenance without harming existing commitments?

• Have we costed long-term replacement and running costs?

• Have we reviewed reserves and contingencies?

Community impact

• Does our community want or need it?

• Will it deliver measurable benefit?

Risk capacity

• Are there liabilities (H&S, trees, structural)?

• Is the condition acceptable or will it require investment?

Resources

•  GAPTC large Councils Forum: Asset Transfer (Wellers law Group)

• Understanding Community Asset Transfer Guide

• Building Powerful Communities through Community Asset Transfer

Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) for Major Decisions

Councils should consider EIAs when:

• acquiring an asset

• transferring or altering a service

• undertaking major projects

• making changes that affect accessibility or availability

EIAs don’t need to be heavy — a simple, structured check is enough. A basic EIA asks:

• Who benefits?

• Who might be disadvantaged?

• Can barriers be addressed before the decision is made?

Resources

• Simple GAPTC EIA template

Emergency Planning & Community Resilienace

Capacity includes the ability to cope when things go wrong. Councils should consider:

• Local emergency contacts

• Flooding or severe weather risks

• Business continuity plans

• Vulnerable residents

• Volunteer networks

• Warm spaces, safe hubs, community support

Cross-reference

• See Competence: Clerk Absence & Succession Plan 

• See Compliance: Risk Register

Resources

• GAPTC webinar: Emergency Planning
  

• Gloucestershire Prepared: Resilience Forum

Collaboration & Shared Capacity

Not everything has to be delivered alone.

Councils increase capacity by:

• Working jointly with neighbouring parishes

• Sharing staff (e.g., RFO, maintenance, comms)

• Creating local service hubs

• Forming joint committees (where lawful)

• Partnering with community groups on projects

• Using volunteers and non-councillors on working groups

This is particularly helpful for:

• devolution

• asset transfers

• grant-funded projects

• emergency response

Resources

GAPTC Council HUBs page