Election 2026: A Community Right to Buy is central to strengthening social infrastructure

Across Wales, community buildings, green spaces and local hubs are more than just bricks, mortar or land, they are the social infrastructure that holds neighbourhoods together. They are where people meet, connect, organise, seek support and build the foundations of local wellbeing. Yet despite their vital role, too many of these assets are under threat.

Research behind our Thriving Welsh Communities manifesto, found that more than 400 council-owned assets worth around £51 million have been sold or disposed of across Wales since May 2021. For communities already facing widening inequalities, this represents not only the loss of buildings, but the erosion of places where trust, connection, resilience and collective action can flourish.

It is becoming increasingly clear that if Wales is serious about strengthening its social infrastructure, tackling loneliness, promoting prevention, building community cohesion and placing wellbeing at the heart of decision-making, then a stronger community ownership framework must be a priority for the next Welsh Government.

The Problem: Communities Want to Act, But the System Holds Them Back

Wales currently has no formal Community Right to Buy. This places Welsh communities at a significant disadvantage compared to those in Scotland and England, where communities have legal mechanisms to bid for, or buy, assets of community value.

Instead, groups in Wales face a process described repeatedly as:

· “nightmare experiences”

· “arduous, lengthy and costly”

· “soul destroying”

Even successful asset transfers often leave groups questioning whether they would do it again. For many, the complexity and risk involved simply makes community ownership feel out of reach.

The result is a gap at the heart of Welsh policy: communities who want to protect valued spaces cannot do so at the pace or scale allowed elsewhere in the UK.

Why Community Ownership Matters

Community ownership isn’t just about saving buildings, land or facilities, it is about enabling communities to shape their own futures.

It supports prevention and wellbeing

Community-run assets provide safe spaces for social connection, food support, youth provision, exercise, arts, volunteering and countless other activities that prevent crises and reduce pressure on public services.

It anchors local wealth

Money generated or invested stays local, supporting jobs, skills and community-led economic development.

It strengthens local democracy

Ownership builds confidence, leadership and long-term agency, giving people a stake in where they live.

It protects against decline

Without secure assets, many community groups operate on unstable ground. Ownership offers permanence, stability and the chance to plan for the long-term.

A New Policy Approach: A Community Right to Buy in Wales

In our manifesto, we propose a bold but achievable shift: introducing a Welsh Community Right to Buy that gives communities a fair chance to save assets at risk of loss.

This would include:

· a right of first refusal when assets come onto the market

· a register of Assets of Community Value

· a 12-month moratorium period so communities have time to organise and fundraise

· capital and revenue funding to support viable, sustainable ownership

· an 18-month spend window for capital grants

· protection and enhancement of the Community Facilities Programme, including inflation-linked uplifts

Together, these measures would create a more enabling framework where communities are not set up to fail but supported to succeed.

Support That Goes Beyond Buildings

Crucially, policy change alone is not enough. Community groups stressed the importance of:

· ongoing technical support

· guidance on governance, business planning and sustainability

· investment in community development capacity

· practical help navigating legal and financial processes

With these foundations in place, communities can turn struggling or underused assets into thriving hubs of local activity.

The Prize: Stronger, Resilient and Fairer Welsh Communities

When communities take ownership of local assets, the benefits ripple outwards: improved health and wellbeing, reduced isolation, strengthened relationships, and increased local confidence and pride.

In a time of financial pressure on public services, supporting community ownership is not simply desirable, it is strategic. It enables prevention, embeds local knowledge in decision-making and aligns directly with the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

We can continue to see valued community spaces lost, or we can reshape policy to protect and empower them. The manifesto makes the choice clear:

The next Welsh Government must champion community ownership now, before more of Wales’s social infrastructure disappears forever.