‘Give power to local communities’ says new report
Report calls for new fund to improve 'left behind' neighbourhoods
By Natalie Bloomer
A £2billion fund should be made available to allow communities in the UK’s ‘left-behind’ areas to develop solutions to improve their neighbourhoods, a new report says.
The report from The Commission into Prosperity and Community Placemaking calls for a Community Wealth Fund to “build on the success” of the Big Local programme which saw 150 communities receive £1m to spend however they wanted.
55 recommendations were made in the report with many focused on giving power to the people who know the areas best: the local community. Some of the ideas put forward include:
A Right to Buy policy which would give communities the right of first refusal to purchase assets such as empty shops and public spaces that come to market
The creation of Neighbourhood Improvement Districts which would give community groups, housing associations or other non-profit bodies the right of first refusal on homes that come up for sale
H…