Communities across England have received unprecedented powers to acquire community properties under groundbreaking law that came into force this week. The “right of communities to purchase” provisions, part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, constitute what ministers have called as “the greatest shift of power to our communities in a generation”. The new law enables community groups to buy local facilities such as pubs, libraries and similar venues without competition, as long as they are able to obtain funding within a 12-month window. The development comes as groups like Domestic Abuse WA12 in Merseyside aim to realise established goals to transform abandoned properties into essential community centres.
A critical juncture for community-led groups
Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, the national network for community-focused groups, has hailed the new powers as revolutionary. “This is a genuine turning point, we are delighted,” he said. The organisation has long campaigned for increased local control over local assets, acknowledging that existing “right to bid” schemes have delivered modest results. Under the former arrangement, which allowed a 6-month funding window, only about 2% of community assets transferred into local ownership, largely because groups found it difficult to obtain sufficient funds within the tight timeframe. The lengthened one-year window should significantly improve these chances.
However, Armstrong has expressed reservations about the new rights’ implementation. Whilst characterising the legislation as “a fantastic new right,” he stressed that it must be “backed up by adequate support and access to resources.” His concerns are reinforced by the government’s choice not to renew the £150m Community Ownership Fund, which previously delivered crucial financial assistance to community bodies seeking to purchase local assets at risk of closure. Without dedicated funding mechanisms in place, Armstrong fears that only the wealthiest communities will be capable of leveraging their new acquisition capabilities.
- Lengthened 12-month funding period supersedes earlier six-month deadline
- Government failed to extend £150m Community Ownership Fund support scheme
- Community groups require targeted financial support and resource access
- Legislation characterised as greatest devolution of power to communities in generation
From unsuccessful attempts to new opportunity
For Debbie Taylor and her domestic abuse service, the new community right to buy law represents a crucial opportunity after years of frustration. Her service, Domestic Abuse WA12, has been attempting to purchase the abandoned Ram’s Head pub in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside for just under three years. When the property was auctioned before, the organisation simply could not raise adequate financing within the given timeframe, and the pub failed to meet its minimum price. Now, with a 12-month period to arrange finance, Taylor is confident the group now possesses a realistic chance of transforming the property into a community hub.
The extended deadline marks a crucial shift in favour of grassroots organisations. Previously, the six-month period for fundraising proved impractically brief for most local organisations, resulting in the overwhelming proportion of assets staying in private ownership or falling into disuse. Taylor’s experience is far from unique; countless organisations across England have watched potential community assets be lost due to budgetary limitations and time constraints. The recent law offers real possibility that structures with real community importance can now be conserved and adapted for community use, rather than left vacant or disposed to property developers.
The Ram’s Head renovation
The Ram’s Head possesses profound symbolic importance for Domestic Abuse WA12 separate from its bricks and mortar. Taylor imagines the pub transforming into a refuge where families in need can access full-range assistance services under one roof. “It’s far more than a building,” she states. “It’s what it can stand for in the future for us and for the families that we’re supporting. It’s security, stability, a path forward for people in our communities dealing with no options when they’re in crisis.”
The group aims to pool fundraising efforts, charitable grants, and borrowing to obtain the property. Beyond delivering domestic abuse services, the group plans to develop its food share programme and set up an inclusive community space where individuals can feel secure whilst rebuilding their lives. Converting the derelict pub would at the same time combat antisocial behaviour affecting the neighbourhood whilst offering tangible benefits to vulnerable residents.
Extended definitions create new opportunities
The important legislation significantly widens what constitutes a “community asset” eligible for purchase under the new right to buy regime. Previously, the definition was restrictively narrow, focusing mainly on pubs, libraries, and a limited range of other specified venues. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act markedly extends this reach, recognizing that communities need varied facilities to prosper. Market halls, community hubs, sports facilities, and cultural venues now come under the legislation, enabling grassroots organisations to secure assets that actively support their particular community requirements and priorities.
This broadened definition constitutes a seismic shift in how policy officials understand local facilities. Rather than applying a centrally-determined catalogue of eligible buildings, the new framework enables local groups themselves to identify properties and locations of genuine local value. The adaptability allows groups to undertake unconventional projects suited to their unique circumstances and residents. From transformed warehouse spaces operating as innovation spaces to redundant schools transformed into learning facilities, the opportunities now extend far beyond conventional town centre buildings, unlocking fresh potential for creative community-led regeneration across England.
Market halls and neighbourhood centres
Market halls occupy a cherished place in English community life, serving as lively meeting places where local traders, producers, and residents come together. Under the new legislation, grassroots organisations can now pursue ownership of these historically significant buildings, ensuring they remain accessible public spaces rather than falling victim to conversion or shutdown. Market halls typically anchor high streets, attracting visitors and building community bonds. Enabling local ownership preserves their future as community-controlled spaces controlled by local people rather than distant corporate interests.
Community hubs equally benefit from the legal expansion, permitting organisations to set up unified service centres tackling multiple local needs at the same time. These multipurpose facilities can accommodate medical services, training programmes, food distribution services, and welfare services under shared premises, enhancing efficiency and availability. The legislation recognises that today’s communities need flexible, purpose-built infrastructure capable of responding to changing circumstances and circumstances. Community ownership guarantees these hubs stay responsive to local priorities rather than restricted by profit motives.
The funding challenge ahead
Whilst the new community right to buy legislation represents a watershed moment for community groups across England, experts warn that legal authority alone will not secure success without significant funding support. The removal of the £150m Community Ownership Fund has left community groups facing an uncertain landscape, forced to cobble together resources from community fundraising efforts, foundation funding, and bank loans. Tony Armstrong, chief operating officer of Locality, emphasises that the extended timeframe of 12 months to raise funds means little without dedicated support structures and access to capital. Without a designated funding mechanism, only the most affluent and well-resourced communities may practically attain control of community properties.
The distance between aspiration and reality looms large for organisations like Domestic Abuse WA12, which spent close to three years trying to obtain the Ram’s Head pub before the new legislation arrived. Local organisations often lack the financial reserves and access to credit of commercial enterprises, placing them at a disadvantage when competing for assets. Social housing providers, local authorities, and property investors can raise funds far more rapidly and effectively. Policymakers face mounting pressure to create a new funding mechanism that truly allows communities to compete equally in the real estate market, converting the legal right to purchase into real community ownership achievements.
- Establish a specialist national fund funding community acquisition costs and feasibility studies
- Establish preferential loan schemes providing reduced interest rates to community organisations
- Develop regional hubs delivering financial advice and fundraising expertise to grassroots groups
Developing permanent community control
The recently introduced community right to buy legislation marks a significant change in how English communities can secure their future. By granting grassroots organisations a authentic entitlement to acquire local assets—rather than merely the opportunity to bid—the law recognises that community ownership delivers tangible benefits beyond commercial viability. Assets administered by community groups remain rooted in local values and priorities, ensuring they meet residents’ requirements rather than shareholders’ interests. This constitutes a decisive break from the previous model, where even well-intentioned bids often fell through because community organisations simply could not mobilise funds quickly enough to compete with commercial buyers.
For organisations like Domestic Abuse WA12, the implications are profound. The lengthened year-long acquisition window offers crucial space to coordinate fundraising efforts, secure charitable grants, and organise financial arrangements without the hectic rush that defined previous efforts. Community ownership also provides lasting stability; once obtained, these assets function as cornerstones for neighbourhood services, protected from the whims of property speculation or business reorganisation. As communities across England start using these additional authorities, the potential emerges for a true resurgence of locally-controlled spaces—from local halls to neighbourhood centres—that genuinely reflect and serve their neighbourhoods.