Community wealth building consultation

Closed 9 May 2023

Opened 31 Jan 2023

Contact

Community Wealth Building Team

CommunityWealthBuildingConsultation@gov.scot

Feedback updated 26 Oct 2023

We asked

On 31 January 2023, the Scottish Government published a consultation on Community Wealth Building (CWB). The 2021-22 Programme for Government confirmed our plans to introduce legislation on CWB during this Parliamentary session. Views and comments were sought on what future CWB legislation should look like and where existing law and policy could be changed to advance action on CWB.

The consultation sought views on the following areas:

  • A proposal for a duty to advance CWB and provided respondents with options as well as inviting views on which bodies should be covered, accountability and involvement of stakeholders;
  • The provision of statutory or non-statutory guidance;
  • If non-legislative measures are required to advance CWB;
  • If specific actions are required to advance the items contained within the Shared Policy Programme in relation to CWB;
  • If changes to the law are required to advance the pillars of CWB (spending, workforce, land and property, inclusive ownership and finance).

You said

The consultation closed on 9 May 2023 and received a total of 185 responses – 148 from groups or organisations and 37 from individual members of the public. Responses with consent to be published were published in June 2023.

The majority of respondents (63% of those answering the question) were in favour of the introduction of a CWB duty which combined:

  • A duty requiring Scottish Ministers and prescribed public sector bodies to embed the CWB model of economic development into their corporate plans and wider strategies; with
  • A duty requiring those public sector bodies statutorily obliged to be involved in community planning to produce a collective CWB place-based strategy and action plan which contains specific actions across the five CWB pillars to advance the CWB model of economic development in their local authority area.

Additionally, 86% of respondents who answered the question felt that a duty should be accompanied by guidance (statutory or non-statutory).

Many of the responses to the questions about each of the five CWB pillars were extensive and an independent analysis report provides an overview of the range of legislative, policy and practical suggestions received.

We did

The responses from the consultation will be used to help inform the development of CWB legislation and policy.  The Scottish Government has published an independent analysis of consultation responses.

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

The Scottish Government has adopted the internationally recognised Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach to economic development as a key practical means by which progress can be made towards realising our wellbeing economy vision outlined in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET).

More Information

CWB is an approach designed to tackle long-standing economic challenges and transform Scotland’s local and regional economies by considering the ways in which the public sector, in partnership with the private, third and community sectors, can ensure more wealth is generated, circulated and retained in communities and localities.

In short, CWB is focused on growing the influence communities have on the economy and ensuring communities receive more of the benefits from the wealth they help to generate.

The Programme for Government 2021-22 confirmed our plans to introduce legislation on CWB during this Parliamentary session. The legislation we plan to introduce will accelerate the delivery of CWB across Scotland and address blockages identified by the areas and organisations leading the implementation of CWB.  The Programme for Government 2022-23 outlined that we will hold a consultation on CWB legislation and we welcome a wide range of views on the changes that are required to grow local wealth and give communities a greater stake in the economy.

More Information

As well as publishing this consultation paper, we are hosting an online engagement event with the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth to discuss the consultation and hear feedback.

The event will take place on Thursday 16 March 2023 between 10:00 -11:15 over Microsoft Teams:  Register now

You can hear from the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth about what’s in the consultation and why it is needed in this short video

Read the consultation paper

We will be engaging with a wide range of partners during the consultation period.

Why your views matter

“The Scottish Government wants to put people, place and the environment at the heart of our economy. That ambition has never been more important than in the current moment as we tackle a Cost of Living Crisis which is harming communities across Scotland.

Community Wealth Building is a key tool to help us achieve an economy that is focused on delivering wellbeing for all. It seeks to do this by growing local wealth and making sure it stays in communities.

Scotland is fast becoming a global leader in Community Wealth Building. Legislation will cement the progress made so far and ensure we go further and faster in the implementation of Community Wealth Building across Scotland.

I encourage you to be bold, ambitious and creative in responding to this consultation to ensure that communities across Scotland have a greater stake in the wealth they help to generate.”

Tom Arthur MSP

Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth

What happens next

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at http://consult.gov.scot. If you use the consultation hub to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so. An analysis report will also be made available.

Interests

  • Economy
  • Main hub