The government should dramatically increase investment in Community Right to Buy funding to help improve safety and security in the UK’s high streets, according to a new report.
Hijacked High Streets, published by the think tank the Centre for Social Justice, says organised criminal groups are operating freely as part of a wider decline of the local high street.
The report, published this week, sets out a raft of proposals to “restore security to Britain’s high streets” by creating the conditions for thriving businesses and hospitality, the building of new homes and the community ownership of local buildings and spaces.
Among the recommendations is a huge increase in investment in the Community Right to Buy, which allows local organisations to purchase an asset of community value without competition when it comes up for sale, if they have sufficient funds.
Earlier this summer the government unveiled a £61m Community Right to Buy Fund, which could support local people in taking over assets such as community halls, pubs, youth clubs or even empty shops.
But the CSJ’s report says the fund is “far too small to meet total demand for community ownership”.
The report says: “The government should increase the size of the Community Right to Buy fund to £500m, with the aim of bringing in an additional £500m of philanthropic investment over the lifetime of the fund.”
The additional investment could be found through philanthropic giving but also utilising unclaimed Gift Aid or dormant funds and assets, the CSJ recommends.
Josh Nicholson, head of housing and community at the Centre for Social Justice, said: “We feel there is a huge opportunity there to work with communities to massively scale up the purchasing of their assets like parks, spaces, buildings.
“It really is a call to up the ambition.”
Nicholson said the government’s investment was important, but it needed to be matched by philanthropic investments to make real change.
The CSJ said the Community Right to Buy Fund should follow a similar structure to the Better Futures Fund, which supports children and young families through the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government declined to comment directly on the Community Right to Buy proposals, but said: “We take antisocial behaviour seriously, which is why we have strengthened the tools available to police, councils and other local agencies through the Crime and Policing Act – including introducing respect orders for the most persistent adult offenders.
“Social landlords already have a range of powers to address anti-social behaviour, including seeking possession in the most serious cases where this is necessary and proportionate.”