Welsh Government consults on Community Right to Buy scheme for local assets

The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on a Community Right to Buy Scheme that would give community groups in Wales a right of first refusal when a registered asset is put up for sale.

The Welsh Government said Siân Gwenllian, Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, would announce the launch in the Senedd on 10 November 2026. The consultation runs until 4 January 2027, and the government said responses would inform the final policy and the development of the legislation.

Gwenllian said: "Where an asset matters to a community, local people should have a genuine chance to secure its future and the benefits it brings for generations to come."

The proposals

Under the scheme as set out by the Welsh Government, community groups could nominate assets for registration based on the social, cultural or economic benefit they provide to the community. Assets that provided community benefit in the past could also qualify where there is a realistic prospect of bringing that benefit back.

A registered asset is defined by the government as a building or piece of land listed on a register following a successful nomination from a community group. The government said community centres, parks and green spaces, pubs and shops could all come within scope.

If a registered asset is put up for sale, an eligible community group would have a right of first refusal and a protected period in which to develop its plans and secure finance. The Welsh Government said registration would not require an owner to sell, as the right would only apply when an owner chose to do so.

The government said it wanted community groups and organisations, asset owners, local authorities and businesses to respond.

Cardiff example

Ahead of the launch, Gwenllian visited a community hub in Splott, Cardiff, owned by the Ministry of Life. The organisation, founded in 2008, helps young people develop skills for employment and event and project management experience, and the Welsh Government said it had delivered more than 170 accreditations.

Jonathan Gunter, CEO of Ministry of Life, said it could be hard for small community organisations to be taken seriously. He said: "Owning 95 Broadway has given our team a real sense of confidence and capacity, and it has also shown partners and funders that we are serious about investing in young people and in the long-term future of the organisation."

Background

The consultation follows a long-running debate in Wales over community assets. In a written statement in October 2014, the Welsh Government said it did not intend at that time to implement in Wales the Assets of Community Value measures of the Localism Act 2011, which had come into force in England in 2012.

In October 2022 the Senedd's Local Government and Housing Committee published a report with 16 recommendations, the first asking the Welsh Government to establish a commission on community ownership of land and assets within 12 months. The committee said venues such as community centres, libraries and pubs were vital for wellbeing and access to services.

Senedd Research reported in January 2023 that the Welsh Government had accepted the commission recommendation in principle, and noted that Building Communities Trust had mapped more than 400 community owned or run assets in Wales.

The final report of the Community Asset Commission Task & Finish Group was published on gov.wales on 10 March 2026. The Welsh Government said the report identified barriers to community asset transfer and offered practical steps to make the process simpler, fairer and more empowering for communities.

On 9 June 2026 Gwenllian said she intended to bring forward a community right to buy Bill, a commitment Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, described as a vital step towards giving people greater control over the places that matter most to them.

First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth confirmed on 14 July 2026, in a statement to the Senedd on the first phase of the government's legislative programme, that legislation to create a Community Right to Buy scheme would be introduced. The Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) said the measure would be one of the first Bills brought before the new Senedd.

What happens next

The Welsh Government said the consultation document would be published on gov.wales on 10 November 2026. Responses are due by 4 January 2027.