- New Government proposes to introduce a new Community Right to Buy, which could have a transformational effect for communities, helping to turn around struggling high streets and create a foundation of thriving community businesses in every place.
- Plans to move power away from Westminster, with more powers and investment for regional authorities are very welcome, but should go further to ensure it filters down to neighbourhood level by adopting proposals from the Community Power Act
- The introduction of Great British Energy aims to accelerate investment into renewable energy and could lead to hundreds more community energy projects – benefiting communities and taking the UK closer to energy independence
The ‘mission-led’ speech, which marked the official opening of the new Parliament today (Weds 17 July) and comes less than two weeks since Labour won the General Election, outlined a series of ambitious pledges to ‘rebuild’ the country, and revealed details of some of the 35 bills being drafted to facilitate this, including:
English Devolution Bill
A new English Devolution Bill will include Local Growth Plans as a statutory requirement of Combined Authorities, meaning there is a real opportunity for regional strategies for the social economy to be developed.
The Bill will empower local communities with a strong new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets, such as empty shops, pubs and community spaces. This will help to revamp high streets and end the blight of empty premises.
This will strengthen communities’ powers to take ownership of and safeguard important local assets and help them lead the way in creating vibrant high streets and town centres.
The Government can learn from the work Power to Change has done in the Liverpool City Region and other Combined Authority areas, so that growth can be felt by everyone.
Ailbhe McNabola, Deputy Chief Executive at Power to Change, said:
“We are so pleased to see the new government taking full advantage of its newfound power to affect change, kickstarting its legislative agenda whilst recognising that real, lasting change happens when it is rooted in communities.
“We’ve been campaigning for a Community Right to Buy as part of our wider work to call for a Community Power Act, and we’re really pleased to see the Government including this in the King’s Speech, which sets the ambition and tone for the next four years.
“From pubs and shops to major developments and solar farms, community businesses are locally rooted, community-led and trade for community benefit. They play a key role in economic growth and building sustainable futures.”
Great British Energy
As the new Labour Government reinforces its manifesto commitment to create a state-owned energy investor – Great British Energy – Power to Change outlines the role that community energy projects could play in this.
“Setting up GB Energy takes us one step closer to seeing hundreds of millions of pounds channelled into community energy through the Local Power Plan,” explains Nick Plumb, Associate Director of Policy & Insight at Power to Change.
“By delivering up to £400 million of investment in community energy projects a year, the Local Power Plan will ensure communities can play a key role in delivering a fair energy transition while reinvesting locally through community benefit funds.”
There are lessons for government on how to scale community energy from Power to Change’s partnership in Community Owned Renewable Energy (CORE) alongside Better Society Capital and Finance Earth, and we will be building on our practical experience to set out how the Local Power Plan can work effectively for communities.
Power to Change, a ‘think-do’ tank with almost a decade’s experience working with changemakers in communities across the UK, has outlined two key opportunities where the Government could go even further to rebuild communities:
- Extend power further beyond the Town Hall and directly into communities by adopting proposals set out in the Community Power Act
- Ensuring the Local Power Plan element of GB Energy builds community capacity to develop community energy projects, which have struggled with lack of Government support in the past
Ailbhe added: “It’s a strong start from the new Government. As ever, we hold out our hand in partnership and encourage the government to work with us and community business to make real, lasting change happen.”
Notes to Editors
For more information, images or interview requests please contact PR Consultant Laura Williams – e: lauramalarkeywrites@gmail.com / 07908213265
We can provide extra commentary based on our experience developing Community Owned Renewable Energy and its associated Next Gen programme; our work with Combined Authorities on social economy strategy and investment and more of our work devising the Community Power Act.
