Local communities should have a far greater say over the future of community assets, Welsh Conservatives claimed today.
The party today leads a debate about enshrining community rights in law, including the right for local people, charities and voluntary groups to bid for community assets, which may not be publicly owned.
A Right to Bid came into effect in England last year and allows a community to seek time to raise their own bid to buy a community asset.
Such legislation in Wales could have helped save the National Tennis Centre, the Vulcan Hotel or any of the pubs, post offices or leisure facilities, which have shut down in Wales in recent years.
Earlier this month, Welsh Conservatives published a discussion document highlighting how the introduction of a Right to Bid could promote good citizenship and protect a community’s way of life.
Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Shadow Minister for Local Government, said, “Under Labour in Wales too many pubs, post offices, playing fields and other community assets have been lost.
“The Right to Bid offers hope to a community to help protect their way of life by allowing time to put together a bid to take over a local asset, which may come under threat.
“Communities should be empowered to take greater control over their own local area and the Right to Bid could encourage a greater sense of citizenship, which in some towns and villages is under threat.
“Conservatives in government have taken action to enhance and enshrine community rights in England, but in Wales, Carwyn Jones’ Labour government continues to withhold these powers from local communities.
“I fail to understand why Carwyn Jones’ Labour Government is so fearful of putting power in the hands of the people, who know what is best for their community, as opposed to Labour politicians in Cardiff Bay.
“Welsh Conservatives believe in real devolution where as much power as possible should be transferred from politicians and bureaucrats to local communities, who can take positive action to safeguard assets that are important to them.
“I hope that we can begin a public debate about how we can encourage civic engagement, empower communities and give the people of Wales more control over their lives.”
