Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute

15 January 2024

The TSI’s board last year agreed to fund a research report and action plan on Community Wealth Building in Argyll and Bute.  Whilst there is already much excellent activity taking place we can go much further by highlighting best practice, setting out models of opportunity and changing the way we work to ensure wealth generated in Argyll and Bute stays in Argyll and Bute!  For instance given the boom in renewable energy locally there must be a way of increasing the share of revenues that goes to local communities.   This is of course challenging given the demise of the feed in tariff and will require a wide range of investors to help community schemes to get off the ground.

Another key area is that of procurement and public bodies must look to continue increasing the proportion of local spend and capacity build local expertise where necessary.

The research and action plan project is being managed through the Community Planning Partnership, which I sit on, and on 12th January 2024 the CPP agreed a set of recommendations that identify some key opportunities for us all.

All recommendations are centred around the five pillars:-

• Plural ownership of the economy.
• Making financial power work for local places.
• Fair employment and just labour markets.
• Progressive procurement of goods and services.
• Socially productive use of land and property.

The April 2024 CPP meeting will approve the final report but further work is needed to develop a plan to implement the recommendations as well as the forthcoming Scottish Government legislation on CWB. For more details on the local CPP recommendations see item 7 from the last CPP meeting.