What we have done in out first year in government to promote Community Ownership

On this day one year ago, we won the general election which returned Labour to power after 14 years in opposition. We campaigned on a promise to end the chaos & decline which the Tories inflicted and deliver the change local people have been crying out for: economic stability, rebuilt public services, and rising living standards.

At that election, promoting Community Ownership was one of my four priorities for the people of Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton, and this is what we have done so far to safeguard heritage buildings and community venues for local people:

𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 at its historic home on Fairbottom Street, with its 500 seats retained ready for 2026 to bring back its Christmas pantomime and a space to give local young people opportunities to learn and enter creative industries.

Put 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥 with facilities the surrounding community deserves, setup in a co-operative ownership model, so the facility is in the hands of local people. After visiting to reaffirm our support in early 2024, campaigning on the issue during the general election, taking Council officials there after the election; we then organising a clean-up event last October with local organisations, volunteers, community groups & the Council.

Passed the Great British Energy Act into law, which has set up the publicly owned company that includes a remit to 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. A £1 billion a year investment to create 1 million owners of UK produced renewable energy.

𝐑𝐞-𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 and Library fully restored for community use and back to its former glory, thanks to a Labour-led Council investing to protect the rich heritage of a great town.

Launched 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤, a £70 million multi-sports centre of excellence from grassroots sport for all, up to elite performance Further & Higher Education sports academies. This builds on the stability and certainty created when we secured the ground as an Asset of Community Value, leading to a ground-sharing deal with Roughyeds and now stable club owners who have promotion for Latics back into the Football league.

Started to build 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧, the Co-operative Party’s leading campaign to transform our country. It is about asking the political system to look at community as a powerful tool for solving serious social and economic problems – not just as an afterthought.

Worked with 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐎 𝐅𝐂 and the Council on empowering grassroots football in our borough and delivering great facilities to local people in the surrounding area in a way which is done of, by and for local people.

For the first time, a government has 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, including £20 million to support co-operatives and community land trusts, putting local people in control of where and how homes are built.

Set out our plans to 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 and introduce a strengthened ‘Right to Buy’ Assets of Community Value in the English Devolution White Paper, creating a more robust pathway to community asset ownership allowing communities to purchase cherished assets that are at risk of being lost.

Our goal is a decade of national renewal and, while we are encouraged by this progress so far, we are not complacent and know there is much more still left to do.