Unlocking the Government’s promise: resourcing Wales’s community right to buy
Across Wales, communities rely on places that anchor everyday life: a village hall, a local park, the pub, or a former chapel with the potential to become a thriving hub. For years, many have watched these vital pieces of social infrastructure be sold off, left to decay, or turned into private developments, with few rights to protect or improve the facilities that hold local life together.
That is why we warmly welcome the Welsh Government’s milestone announcement to introduce a Community Right to Buy Bill and were pleased to participate in a recent workshop scoping the bill, organised by Welsh Government.
Giving local groups the legal right of first refusal when community assets come up for sale is a transformational shift. It acknowledges a fundamental truth that we at Building Communities Trust have championed for years: local people know best what their communities need to thrive, and they deserve the power to shape their own places.
However, as anyone who has tried to save a local asset knows, legislation is only the opening chapter. A right to buy will only be transformative if communities also have the practical support and resources to use it.
Legislation opens the door, but resourcing lets communities step through
A legal right to buy equips communities with stronger rights, but a right on paper alone cannot buy a building or repair a leaking roof.
Taking over and running a community asset is one of the most ambitious things a local group can do. Without adequate resourcing and support, we risk creating a system where passionate volunteers are responsible for complex facilities without the resources needed to keep the doors open. We frequently hear that asset transfers are, in reality, a transfer of liabilities.
To turn this legislation from a promising policy into a genuine mechanism for local regeneration, the Welsh Government and public sector partners must back the Community Right to Buy with three essential pillars:
1. Dedicated, long-term capital and revenue funding
Acquiring an asset requires capital, but sustaining it requires revenue. Community organisations need access to flexible, long-term funding streams that cover both the purchase price and the early operational costs that determine whether an asset can remain open, useful, and financially viable.
Expand existing capital programmes: Enhancing funding schemes like the Community Facilities Programme ensures groups can fund necessary renovations and modernisations.
Provide early-stage seed revenue: Early development grants allow volunteer groups to commission structural surveys, business plans, and legal advice before committing to a purchase.
2. Hands-on technical support and capacity building
Communities often need access to specialist skills and expertise that may not already exist within their group, from legal advice and governance support to business planning and building management. Without that practical help, even well-organised groups can struggle to get a purchase over the line.
Tailored advice networks: groups need accessible, dedicated support to guide them through complex legal processes, business planning, governance structures, and environmental sustainability.
Peer-to-peer mentoring: connecting emerging community groups with established, successful community enterprises across Wales builds local confidence and shares practical wisdom.
3. Streamlined, transparent processes
The journey to community ownership has been described by community-led groups as an arduous, uphill battle.
Consolidated applications: Funding application processes across local and national bodies should be streamlined to avoid burdening small volunteer committees with repetitive paperwork.
Fair timelines: Adequate moratorium periods must be built into the right to buy so communities have realistic timeframes to organise, consult, and raise capital.
A golden opportunity for Wales
When communities own and manage their own assets, the returns ripple far beyond the walls of a single building or park perimeter. Wealth stays local, social isolation decreases, public health and well-being improve, and a renewed sense of pride takes root. The Welsh Government’s commitment to a Community Right to Buy is a clear statement of faith in communities throughout Wales. Now, we must continue to work together, across government, the voluntary sector, and communities, to ensure this new right is matched with the tools, funding, and support needed to make community ownership a thriving reality in every corner of the country.