Cameron promises 'community right to buy'

Tory leader David Cameron has pledged to introduce a 'community right to buy' giving social enterprises first refusal to acquire decrepit public buildings.

Speaking in a party political broadcast, which was aired to coincide with last week's Queen's Speech, Cameron said such legislation would empower communities to take control of local services threatened with closure.

He added that community enterprises should be able to bid to run publicly provided assets such as libraries.

Cameron said this would be an extension of the former Conservative government's policy to enable tenants to buy their council houses.

He said: 'One of the problems that people raise with me time and time again is that when community amenities are threatened with closure - amenities like libraries, sports centres, pubs and post offices - they feel powerless to do anything about it.'

The pledge was welcomed by the Development Trusts Association (DTA), which has long called for 'community right to buy' legislation.

While DTA director Steve Wyler said the current government had come to recognise the potential of community asset ownership, it had not gone far enough. He said the DTA's call for such legislation had 'fallen on deaf ears'.

'We are pleased the Conservative Party has listened and is prepared to provide the necessary political leadership, and we hope that other parties will also wake up to the huge opportunity this presents,' said Wyler.

The idea of community right to buy legislation is also being championed by the so-called 'Red Tory' Phillip Blond.

In July this year, Blond wrote: 'For a fair market value, such legislation can allow local social enterprises six months to put together a funding package to turn a liability into an asset for a transformative local business.'

• Blond is expected to share a platform with Cameron this week to launch his new think tank called ResPublica. Many believe the former theology lecturer provides much of the philosophical inspiration behind Cameron's brand of Conservatism.