Community Wealth Building – a Community Planning Partnership (Cpp) Member Charter for Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute Council · 26 November 2025
Back to Argyll and Bute Council — 26 November 2025 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S UNIT 26 NOVEMBER 2025 COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING – A COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP (CPP) MEMBER CHARTER FOR ARGYLL AND BUTE 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Community Wealth Building Steering Group (‘the Steering Group’) has developed a Community Wealth Building Charter (‘the Charter’). The (CPP) will consider if it can sign up to the Charter at its December meeting. This decision will be guided by whether its member organisations are in agreement, individually and collectively. The Council, as a member of Argyll and Bute CPP, is asked to consider signing the Charter to signal commitment to embedding Community Wealth Building (CWB) principles in advance of forthcoming national legislation. By signing the Charter, the Council will affirm support for building a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable local economy, show leadership ahead of legislation, and strengthen partnership working, by embedding the principles of CWB in Council strategies and operations. The Charter is included at Appendix 1. Recommendations: • Note the work undertaken by the Steering Group to review and develop recommendations for embedding CWB in Argyll and Bute. • Recognise the Charter as a shared statement of intent by CPP partners and supporters. • Agree to sign the Charter to signal commitment to embedding CWB principles in advance of forthcoming national legislation.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S UNIT 26 NOVEMBER 2025 COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING – A COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP (CPP) MEMBER CHARTER FOR ARGYLL AND BUTE 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 In June 2025, the CWB Steering Group produced a report for the CPP which reviewed opportunities for implementing CWB locally. The review considered national policy direction, local priorities, and practical actions across the five pillars of CWB. It included recommendations on strengthening local economic resilience and ensuring wealth is retained and shared more equitably within communities. 2.2 The Steering Group also agreed that a Charter for CWB should be developed as a collective statement of intent, setting out shared commitments, and aligning with key local strategies and plans. 2.3 At its recent meeting, the CPP agreed that each member organisation individually consider the Charter to inform the collective CPP decision of signing up, which will take place at its December 2025 meeting. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Note the work undertaken by the Steering Group to review and develop recommendations for embedding CWB in Argyll and Bute, summarised in 4.1 and 4.2, and set out in Appendix 2 of this report. 3.2 Recognise the Charter in Appendix 1 as a shared statement of intent by CPP partners and supporters. 3.3 Agree that the Council signs the Charter to signal commitment to embedding CWB principles in advance of forthcoming national legislation.
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4.0 DETAIL 4.1 In June 2025, the CPP Management Committee received a detailed report from the CWB Steering Group, which reviewed opportunities for implementing CWB locally. This review considered national policy direction, local priorities, and practical actions across the five pillars of CWB, namely: 1. Plural ownership of the economy. 2. Making financial power work for local places. 3. Fair employment and just labour markets. 4. Progressive procurement of goods and services. 5. Socially productive use of land and property. These pillars have been developed by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) over a number of decades through work with national and global anchor institutions: large organisations that are tied to a place by their mission, history, assets and relationships. 4.2 The Steering Group’s work has included developing recommendations on how anchor institutions in Argyll and Bute can use their economic role as employers, procurers, landowners, and investors to strengthen local resilience and ensure wealth is retained and shared more equitably within communities. 4.3 The charter sets out a vision: To build an economy that works for people, place and planet - where wellbeing, sustainability, and equity are core outcomes of economic activity. We will support and work towards an inclusive model of development that maximises local opportunity and minimises the extraction of wealth from our communities. 4.4 It also includes principles for each of the 5 pillars of CWB: 1. Spending: Maximise community benefit through procurement, grow inclusive supply chains, and support local enterprises to access public contracts. 2. Workforce: Promote Fair Work, support the real Living Wage, and develop inclusive employment and training pathways in collaboration with local employers and partners. 3. Inclusive Ownership: Support diverse and democratic business models, including social enterprises, co-operatives, and employee-owned businesses, that root wealth in local communities. 4. Finance: Use our financial power to support local investment, explore ethical and social finance opportunities, and ensure community benefits are reinvested locally. 5. Land and Property: Make socially productive use of land and assets, support community ownership, and collaborate to unlock affordable workspace and housing.
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5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The Charter signals a commitment amongst CPP partners to embed CWB principles. The Council is asked to sign the Charter, joining CPP partners in affirming support for the vision within the Charter and embedding of the principles.
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6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy The five pillars of Community Wealth Building may link to a number of policies and strategies, including: Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan 2024-2034, Economic Strategy 2024-2034 and Procurement Strategy and Sustainable Procurement Policy 2022/25. 6.2 Financial There may be financial implications relating to the CWB pillars of ‘Making financial power work for local places’ and ‘Progressive procurement of goods and services’. 6.3 Legal There may be legal implications in relation to potential linkages between the Charter and the content of the forthcoming legislation on Community Wealth Building. 6.4 HR There are no personnel implications. 6.5 Customer Service There are no implications for Customer Service. 6.6 Risk There is a risk that the Charter cannot be endorsed by the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership as a whole, should Argyll and Bute Council or another of the bodies represented on the CPP not agree to its endorsement. 6.7 Climate Change There are no direct implications for climate change. 6.8 Fairer Scotland Duty There are no direct implications in relation to the Fairer Scotland Duty. 6.9 Equalities – protected characteristics There are no direct implications with regard to protected characteristics. 6.10 Consumer Duty There may be implications regarding the provision of services to consumers in Argyll and Bute 6.11 Island Communities There may be implications in relation to island communities. 6.12 Children’s Rights and Wellbeing There are no implications for Children’s Rights and Wellbeing.
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Chief Executive, Pippa Milne Policy Lead – Cllr Mark Irvine 10 November 2025 For further information contact: John McLuckie, Partnerships Lead (Community Planning): john.mcluckie@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Community Wealth Building Charter Appendix 2 – Review and development of CWB recommendations by the Steering Group