A Way Forward for Community Rights in Wales?

Georgina Edwards, Policy and Research Manager at the Plunkett Foundation reflects on our recent panel event focused on Community Assets.

Plunkett Foundation is a member of the Community Ownership Group (COG) in Wales, a network of organisations who wish to see more assets being run by communities, especially if those assets are at risk of loss to the community otherwise. Plunkett see access to community spaces – whether they are buildings or land – as an essential part of thriving communities, providing a wide range of benefits to communities and to community life.

Community Assets: Empowering Communities 

The event’s theme was “Community Assets: Empowering Communities”. We know that the existence of community assets – and the support and opportunities they provide for people – is critical for the wellbeing, recovery, and resilience of communities across Wales. This was a timely conversation, taking place one year on from the Welsh Parliament Local Government and Housing Committee’s report, Community Assets, which drew on evidence submitted by the Plunkett Foundation and other members of the COG.  

Plunkett Foundation’s own research has found that community-owned businesses have continued to put people first during the cost of living of crisis, with two thirds of businesses absorbing price increases to protect their customers, and over 50% offering their staff a pay rise of more than 5% to help with the cost of living.

Political support for Community Ownership in Wales

The event took place at the Pierhead building at the Senedd, and was co-sponsored by Peredur Owen Griffiths AS/MS and Mabon ap Gwynfor AS/MS, both members of Plaid Cymru. Also on the panel were Sam Rowlands AS/MS and John Griffiths AS/MS from the Welsh Conservative and Labour parties. It was fantastic to see support across the political spectrum for community ownership and acknowledgements of its beneficial impact, from local people, local economies and “pride in place”. 

What needs to change in order for more communities in Wales to be able to take ownership of assets? BCT’s Strong Welsh Communities Manifesto calls for more recognition and rights for communities, specifically in relation to the asset transfer process of buildings and land owned by local authorities. Given that many assets are in private ownership, Plunkett recommends legislation the offers the community a right to first refusal on assets that matter to them.

Natalie Sargent, representing the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, highlighted the need for specific support for communities based in more deprived areas, such as former mining communities, where there is less capital available to fund the costs of running a project and unpaid time on managing it. Eleri Williams, BCT, agreed that communities need a combination better funding, policies and legislation –that works in the Welsh context. Although a recent announcement from the Welsh government confirmed that a commission would not be launched on community assets by the October 2023 deadline that was set last year, there is clearly political appetite for change.

Get involved – gathering evidence on community assets

In light of the need for change, BCT has commissioned the Plunkett Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of existing means of supporting communities to take ownership of assets in Scotland and England. The aim of the research is to understand what legislation and policies could be beneficially adapted in a Welsh context.

They’d like to hear from community groups and organisations in England, Scotland and Wales who took ownership of an asset in the last 5 years, or who are currently in the process of trying to acquire an asset. If you were involved in an unsuccessful community ownership project, we’d also like to hear from you.

By contributing to this research, you can help shape the future of Community Rights in Wales and other UK nations. We need as many community groups to come forward as possible to complete a survey, so that we can advocate for change.

Get involved by:

Responding to our survey – deadline Tuesday 5th December (Approx. 15 minutes).
Sharing your experiences at an online workshop on Zoom, Tuesday 21st November 2-3:30pm.