Charities have welcomed the government’s introduction of a new community right to buy as a “major opportunity”, following the King’s Speech today.

Two weeks after Labour’s landslide election win, King Charles laid out the government’s parliamentary agenda, which includes new legislation that will establish a new framework for English devolution and move power away from Westminster. 

Addressing parliament, the King said: “My government believes that greater devolution of decision making is at the heart of a modern dynamic economy and is a key driver of economic growth and my ministers will introduce an English Devolution Bill.”

“Legislation will be introduced to give new powers to metro mayors and combined authorities. This will support local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities.”

The background briefing to the King’s speech said that the bill would “establish a new framework for English devolution, moving power out of Westminster and back to those who know their areas best”.

The bill will include a new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets, such as empty shops, pubs and community spaces, which the briefing says will “help to revamp high streets and end the blight of empty premises”.

The majority of the bill’s measures will extend to England and Wales and apply to England, the briefing adds.

Charities welcomed the announcement of the bill, with Tony Armstrong, chief executive of the membership body Locality, describing it as a “major opportunity to ensure local people can really ‘take back control’”. 

He said: “A new community right to buy will be a big help to communities trying to save valued local spaces – this is very welcome and is something Locality has long campaigned for.”

Armstrong added that more powers for mayors and combined authorities, will “help us on the journey to community power”, but said that the bill must also ensure that local neighbourhoods and communities have the power to decide where funding goes, what opportunities are created and how services are run. 

The community business think tank, Power to Change, also welcomed the bill, with Ailbhe McNabola, the charity’s deputy chief executive, saying: “We are so pleased to see the new government taking full advantage of its newfound power to affect change, kickstarting its legislative agenda whilst recognising that real, lasting change happens when it is rooted in communities.”

McNabola said that Power to Change has been advocating for a community right to buy in its work, so it was “really pleased to see the government including this in the King’s Speech, which sets the ambition and tone for the next four years”.

The King’s Speech also included other measures that were welcomed by some charities, including the introduction of a children’s wellbeing bill aiming to improve education and social systems, plans to modernise the Mental Health Act and a draft bill to ban conversion practices that fall outside of current legislation.

Sarah Elliott, chief executive of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations, said the speech included a “packed agenda of bills”, saying: “Key to making sure these bills are successful is policy-makers working in close partnership with the charity and voluntary sector. 

“We, and our members, stand ready to bring our wealth of experience and understanding to the table to make sure that this legislative agenda is as effective and impactful as possible in tackling some of the biggest challenges facing our communities.”

Jane Ide, chief executive of the charity leaders body Acevo, said: “Many of these ambitions can only be delivered successfully by including civil society as a key partner – whether it is in obvious areas, such as the welcome intent to reduce domestic violence by 50 per cent and the moves to give true parity to mental health, or as part of a broader context of sustainable economic growth and greater devolved powers to benefit local communities.

She said that while the sector is still awaiting the appointment of a minister with responsibility for civil society, she was “looking forward” to meeting Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary.

Ide said: “Keir Starmer, in January of this year, spoke eloquently of how civil society had been left out of key policy making processes for too long, and asked civil society to come to the table in partnership with his government. We stand ready to do so.”