The Community Right to Buy
Buildings and spaces are often the heart of a community, where local people come together, access vital services and support each other. Yet each year thousands of valued local buildings and spaces are sold off, destroyed or left empty, when they could be providing valuable spaces for local people.
The new Community Right to Buy Fund has been created to support people to use a new right the government is introduced. Communities will soon have a ‘Right to buy' to protect valued local buildings and spaces, after the new right was created as part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act earlier in 2026. Eligible community groups can nominate certain buildings or land as ‘Assets of Community Value’. Then, if these assets are to be sold, the sale can be delayed for twelve months to let the community raise the finance and make a bid themselves.
And you just think why? Why are these buildings shut up and nobody can get hold of them or it takes absolutely years?
We need proper control over land and buildings, and then amazing things will happen.
What is the Community Right to Buy Fund?
The government has announced a £61 million Community Right to Buy Fund to support local people to take advantage of this new right. Locality has been calling for a coordinated fund and a National Community Ownership Strategy, since the end of the £150m Community Ownership Fund.
According to Communities Secretary Steve Reed, the fund “will support groups to take over and run pubs, clubs, community centres and sports halls.” The government announcement says the new right "will hand people in deprived areas the money they need to step in and take over community assets at risk of closure otherwise – allowing pints to continue flowing and community centres to keep bringing people together in their areas."
However, our recent report 'Keys to the Future' found that the previous £150m Community Ownership Fund was 12 times oversubscribed, so this £61m will only scratch the surface. We're campaigning for for £200m to help communities take on the spaces they need to build real community power in their areas.
You can help us by signing our letter to the Government.
How we can help
Locality is the leading national experts on community ownership of buildings and spaces. We have extensive advice, tools and training to help you save a space and manage it for the benefit of the community, and connect you with other organisations that manage community-owned spaces.
We help communities own and manage land and buildings, including community centres, as well as local spaces like shops, libraries, swimming pools, pubs, green spaces and more, protecting them for future generations. Community ownership helps places thrive and creates long-term resilience for community organisations.