Communities across England have received historic new powers to purchase local assets under landmark legislation that took effect this week. The “community right to buy” provisions, part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, represent what ministers have described as “the biggest transfer of power to our communities in a generation”. The new law allows community groups to purchase local facilities such as pubs, libraries and other facilities without competition, as long as they can secure funding within 12 months. The development comes as groups like Domestic Abuse WA12 in Merseyside aim to realise long-held ambitions to convert derelict buildings into vital community hubs.
A turning point for local initiatives
Tony Armstrong, head of Locality, the national network for community-focused groups, has praised the new powers as revolutionary. “This is a real watershed moment, we are thrilled,” he said. The organisation has long campaigned for increased local control over community resources, acknowledging that existing “right to bid” schemes have delivered modest results. Under the previous system, which allowed a six-month fundraising window, only about 2% of community assets passed into local ownership, largely because groups struggled to secure adequate financing within the strict deadline. The extended 12-month window should significantly improve these chances.
However, Armstrong has sounded a note of caution about the new rights’ introduction. Whilst describing the legislation as “a fantastic new right,” he highlighted that it must be “backed up by adequate support and funding access.” His concerns are compounded by the government’s choice not to renew the £150m Community Ownership Fund, which previously offered crucial financial assistance to community groups seeking to purchase local assets facing closure. Without dedicated funding mechanisms in place, Armstrong worries that only the most affluent areas will be in a position to exploit their new acquisition capabilities.
- Extended 12-month funding period supersedes earlier six-month deadline
- Government did not renew £150m Community Ownership Fund support scheme
- Community groups need dedicated funding and resource access
- Legislation characterised as greatest devolution of power to communities in a generation
From unsuccessful attempts to new opportunity
For Debbie Taylor and her abuse support service, the new community purchase law represents a crucial opportunity after prolonged frustration. Her group, Domestic Abuse WA12, has been trying to buy the derelict Ram’s Head pub in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside for just under three years. When the property was auctioned before, the group failed to generate adequate financing within the given timeframe, and the pub did not reach its reserve price. Now, with a one-year timeframe to arrange finance, Taylor believes the organisation finally has a real prospect of turning the building into a community facility.
The extended deadline marks a significant shift in favour of community-based groups. Previously, the six-month fundraising window proved prohibitively short for most community groups, resulting in the vast majority of assets staying in private ownership or becoming abandoned. Taylor’s experience is far from unique; countless organisations across England have seen valuable community resources be lost due to financial constraints and time pressures. The new legislation offers genuine hope that buildings of genuine community value can now be conserved and adapted for community use, rather than abandoned or sold to developers.
The Ram’s Head overhaul
The Ram’s Head possesses profound symbolic importance for Domestic Abuse WA12 outside of its bricks and mortar. Taylor imagines the pub serving as a sanctuary where vulnerable families can access wide-ranging help services in a single location. “It’s far more than a building,” she explains. “It’s what it can symbolise in the future for us and for the families that we’re supporting. It’s security, stability, a future for people in our communities dealing with no options when they’re in crisis.”
The organisation intends to combine fundraising efforts, charitable grants, and borrowing to acquire the property. Beyond delivering domestic abuse services, the group intends to expand its food share programme and create an welcoming community space where individuals can find safety whilst reconstructing their lives. Converting the derelict pub would at the same time address antisocial behaviour affecting the neighbourhood whilst providing tangible benefits to vulnerable residents.
Extended definitions create additional potential
The significant legislation substantially expands what defines a “community asset” available for acquisition under the new right to buy regime. Previously, the definition was restrictively narrow, encompassing primarily pubs, libraries, and a limited range of other specified venues. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act markedly extends this remit, recognizing that communities require multiple venues to flourish. Market halls, community hubs, sports facilities, and arts facilities now come under the legislation, allowing grassroots organisations to secure assets that effectively meet their specific local needs and priorities.
This extended definition represents a seismic shift in how policymakers understand community infrastructure. Rather than imposing a top-down list of eligible buildings, the new framework gives communities the power themselves to identify structures and venues of authentic community importance. The flexibility allows groups to pursue non-traditional schemes tailored to their specific situations and communities. From repurposed industrial buildings functioning as creative hubs to former school buildings repurposed as learning facilities, the possibilities now go well past traditional high street landmarks, creating new possibilities for creative community-led regeneration across England.
Marketplace venues and community hubs
Market halls maintain a cherished place in English civic life, serving as vibrant gathering spaces where local traders, producers, and residents converge. Under the extended legal framework, community groups can now take ownership of these heritage buildings, ensuring they stay open to the public rather than succumbing to conversion or shutdown. Market halls commonly serve as anchors for high streets, drawing people in and building community bonds. Enabling grassroots ownership safeguards their future as locally governed spaces managed by the community rather than distant corporate interests.
Community hubs equally gain from the legislative expansion, permitting organisations to set up integrated service centres tackling diverse community needs simultaneously. These multipurpose facilities can accommodate medical services, educational programmes, food banks, and social support under single roofs, maximising efficiency and access. The legislation identifies that modern communities require responsive, bespoke infrastructure capable of responding to changing circumstances and circumstances. Community ownership ensures these hubs continue responsive to local priorities rather than restricted by commercial imperatives.
The financial hurdle on the horizon
Whilst the new community right to buy legislation marks a watershed moment for grassroots organisations across England, experts warn that legal authority alone will not guarantee success without significant funding support. The removal of the £150m Community Ownership Fund has left community groups facing an unpredictable environment, forced to cobble together resources from community fundraising efforts, charitable grants, and bank loans. Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, emphasises that the expanded 12-month window to secure funding means little without robust support systems and capital availability. Without a designated funding mechanism, only the most affluent and well-resourced communities may practically attain ownership of local assets.
The distance between aspiration and reality stands out prominently for organisations like Domestic Abuse WA12, which spent close to three years attempting to secure the Ram’s Head pub before the fresh legal framework arrived. Local organisations typically lack the financial reserves and borrowing capacity of commercial enterprises, leaving them disadvantaged when bidding for assets. Social housing providers, council bodies, and property investors can mobilise capital far more rapidly and effectively. Policymakers face mounting pressure to create a new funding mechanism that actually enables communities to compete on equal terms in the housing market, turning the statutory right to buy into concrete community ownership results.
- Establish a specialist national fund funding acquisition costs for communities and viability assessments
- Establish favourable lending programmes offering below-market interest rates to grassroots organisations
- Build regional hubs delivering financial advice and fundraising expertise to grassroots groups
Creating lasting community ownership
The recently introduced community right to buy legislation marks a fundamental shift in how English communities can safeguard their long-term prospects. By granting grassroots organisations a genuine right to acquire local properties—rather than merely the opportunity to make an offer—the law recognises that community ownership provides 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’ concerns. This constitutes a clear departure from the previous model, where even well-intentioned bids often fell through because community organisations simply could not raise funds quickly enough to compete with commercial buyers.
For organisations like Domestic Abuse WA12, the implications are significant. The extended 12-month acquisition window provides breathing room to organise fundraising initiatives, access charitable support, and organise financial arrangements without the frantic scramble that defined previous efforts. Community ownership also provides lasting stability; once secured, these assets function as cornerstones for neighbourhood services, safeguarded against the whims of real estate speculation or corporate restructuring. As communities across England commence employing these additional authorities, the potential arises for a genuine renaissance of neighbourhood-managed facilities—from village halls to community centres—that truly address the needs of their neighbourhoods.