Joe Rossiter reflects on the final report of the Community Asset Commission’s Task and Finish Group
Following the publication of our landmark report Our Land in 2022, the IWA, in collaboration with a host of organisational partners, have been at the forefront of calls for community empowerment reform in Wales.
In the report, we identified that communities in Wales are the least empowered in the UK and called for a major shake-up of community policy to bring it up to speed with England and Scotland. The report was supplemented by public polling which indicated the widespread support for action.
Since then communities in Wales are continuing to fall further behind – despite the host of examples where communities have driven change in their area.
Last week, Welsh Government’s Community Asset Commission’s Task and Finish Group published its final report, which made a set of recommendations for Welsh Government in this area. This brief article will discuss what it says, how we got here, and where we can go in the 7th Senedd.
Syniadau uchelgeisiol, awdurdodol a mentrus.
Ymunwch â ni i gyfrannu at wneud Cymru gwell.
Long time coming
The case for change, despite a wide cohort of communities and organisations being behind it, has taken a long and winding path. We’ve had Senedd debates, commitments in manifestos, a Senedd inquiry and subsequent report. All of which have put forward the set of solutions which we are still discussing today; community empowerment legislation, ringfenced financial support, best practice guidance and support.
In response to the Senedd Committee report, the Welsh Government started convening what became the Community Asset Commission Task and Finish Group back in 2023, with this final report over a year in the making.
The need for change to support communities to own and manage assets in their areas continues to be strong.
The report reinforces points that the sector has been making for a number of years. That community ownership of assets delivers sustained social value, that communities want to be supported to own and manage assets in their communities and that there is untapped potential in this space to create wider socio-economic and wellbeing benefits.
That such a report has been pushed out just before an election period is also a concern, as it is with other similar reports also being pushed out this late into the political cycle. Whilst the report gives the next government a basis to work from, which is a positive, it is an agenda tied up in another administration.
Findings
The Task and Finish Group report makes clear the need for community empowerment legislation.
It also calls for further support to communities, to help them to purchase and manage assets. A mapping exercise to provide greater understanding of the role and spread of potential asset transfers Wales is also proposed.
Quite why achieving change requires quite so many repeated conversations, commissions and inquiries will continue to be a source of frustration. But we are slowly working towards the change communities in Wales so badly need.
It also calls for a revision to Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme to fund community right to buy. Whilst this falls short of a ringfenced dedicated Community Assets Fund, it indicates the need for well resourced financial support to enable communities to purchase assets. We are unsure why such a pot of funding needs to sit under the Transforming Towns programme.
But overall – this doesn’t make an argument that we haven’t heard before. Which begs the question, why do this anyway?
Gofod i drafod, dadlau, ac ymchwilio.
Cefnogwch brif felin drafod annibynnol Cymru.
Where now?
With this report published just ahead of an election period, it once again makes the case for legislation, ring fenced financial support, guidance change for selling assets and a mapping of assets.
Does the report lead us any closer to the change we have been calling for? Ultimately, no. It restates the case for change once again. It arguably makes future change easier, given this was an independent Welsh Government report, but not that significantly. Reform still requires political leadership to be delivered. It also requires resourcing, both in terms of funding and political commitment. Doing this means not doing other things.
The need for change to support communities to own and manage assets in their areas continues to be strong. In the run up to the Senedd elections, making such a piece of legislation an early government commitment would be an easy win, the hard work has already been done.
Quite why achieving change requires quite so many repeated conversations, commissions and inquiries will continue to be a source of frustration. But we are slowly working towards the change communities in Wales so badly need.
Going forward, community empowerment reform must be a priority for the next Welsh Government. The case has been made, the practicalities and key principles established and the need for both a legislative and policy set of solutions is clear. It’s time for action.
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