> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://digital-commons.gitbook.io/landexplorer-user-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://digital-commons.gitbook.io/landexplorer-user-guide/example-usage/saving-community-assets.md).

# Saving Community Assets

**The Challenge**

Community groups, cooperatives, and local campaigners often want to understand what land and buildings exist in their area that could be brought into community use, such as a closed pub, a vacant shopfront, an underused hall or car park. The barrier is usually information: it's not easy to find out who owns a site, whether it's publicly or privately held, or whether multiple sites of interest are connected under a single owner.

**How Land Explorer Can Help**

Land Explorer lets you create a focused map of a neighbourhood and explore ownership across it. The ownership layers show who holds the freehold on buildings of interest, helping you distinguish between council-owned land, housing association property, church bodies, and private landlords, without having to purchase individual title deeds upfront.

Community assets often change hands from councils and churches, rather than private owners, because these sellers tend to be more open to working with community buyers who typically need more time than developers to organise and raise funds. 

The Local Authority and Church of England layers in Land Explorer can help you identify properties currently held by these owners, making them a good starting point when you're looking for realistic opportunities to bring a site into community use.

When a building of interest comes up, you can also quickly look up who owns it. The back search function lets you dig in further: start from one confirmed property, scroll down and click “check for other properties” to see other properties held by the same entity. 

Collaborative mapping means a group can [build](https://digital-commons.gitbook.io/landexplorer-user-guide/functionality/collaborative-mapping) and [share a map together](https://digital-commons.gitbook.io/landexplorer-user-guide/functionality/collaborative-mapping/shared-maps), so knowledge is accessible to everyone rather than sitting in one person's head.

**What It Can Reveal**

Land Explorer can help community groups understand the ownership of local buildings nad green spaces that isn't obvious at street level. For example several buildings under a single title, public land that has been sold off, or a site assumed to be private that turns out to be registered to a public body. This kind of information opens up different options for who to approach and how.

**How Land Explorer Supports Your Work**

Land Explorer can make sharing this information visually with each other, councils, and decision-makers straight-forward. Going into a conversation with information about who owns what is a strong starting place.

**Tips** 

Start with a single address you already know is owned by the organisation you're investigating and then use back search to see everything else they hold. It's much faster than browsing parcel by parcel.

**Resources**

* [What Works: Successful Community Pubs](https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/media/insights/documents/Research-Report-5-Pubs-DIGITAL-1.pdf?mtime=20200306114520\&focal=none) by Power to Change 2017
* [Community Shops ](https://plunkett.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Better-Business-Report-Community-Shops.pdf)by Plunkett Foundation 2021
* [Community Pubs](https://plunkett.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Plunkett-Foundation-Better-Business-Report-2021-Community-Pubs.pdf) by Plunkett Foundation 2021
* [Community business success guide to cafes](https://www.powertochange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/PTC_Cafes_A5_AW-1.pdf) by Power to Change 2018
* [Village Halls, Rural Community Hubs and Buildings](https://www.powertochange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Village-halls-open-call-report-Final.pdf) by Power to Change 2018