Swindon Borough Council is set to discuss a new plan designed to circulate more wealth within the local community, ensuring that Swindon’s prosperity directly benefits its residents and businesses.
The proposal, which will be presented to the Build a Better Swindon Policy and Performance Committee tomorrow evening (6 November), outlines a Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach to tackling issues such as inequality, low social mobility, and deprivation across the Borough.
Learning from successful models
Council Leader Cllr Jim Robbins will present how Swindon could follow in the footsteps of cities such as Preston and Islington, where community wealth-building initiatives have helped strengthen local economies by keeping public money circulating locally.
The strategy focuses on maximising the social value of local assets, employment, procurement, and finance — ensuring Swindon’s wealth is retained and reinvested into local communities rather than leaving the area.
Swindon is well-placed to adopt this model, with a diverse network of anchor institutions and major employers, including a higher-than-average number of large companies (more than 250 employees) compared to the England average.
Five pillars of Community Wealth Building
Councillors will be asked to provide feedback on the proposed five key pillars of Swindon’s Community Wealth Building model:
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Progressive procurement – directing public and anchor institution spending into local, ethical, and inclusive supply chains that deliver mutual benefit.
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Fair employment and just labour markets – promoting decent work, fair pay, inclusive recruitment, and progression opportunities.
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Socially productive use of land and property – utilising underused public or private assets for community and economic development.
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Widening ownership of the economy – supporting the growth of cooperatives, mutuals, and community businesses.
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Putting Swindon’s financial power to work locally – encouraging ethical and community finance models that reinvest wealth into the area.
Next steps
Following the committee’s feedback, a draft Community Wealth Building Strategy will be developed as part of the wider Swindon Economic Growth Plan.
The draft will be shared with businesses and partners in January 2026, before a final version is presented to the Council’s Cabinet in February.
Leader’s statement
Council Leader Cllr Jim Robbins said:
“I’m really excited to present our draft Community Wealth Building Plan to councillors — it’s an important priority in our Swindon Plan, and places like Preston have shown it can make a real difference to local communities.
“We have some exciting proposals, such as encouraging major employers to apply social value weighting in their purchasing policies — something we’ve already started with our own contracts.
“We also want to make Swindon a Living Wage Place, develop an Inclusive Employment Charter, and prioritise community use of surplus land and buildings.
“Our partnership with Co-operatives UK will help create community-owned food, energy, and care enterprises that meet real local needs. We’re also exploring an annual ‘Meet the Buyer’ event and a civic crowdfunding platform for community projects and neighbourhood renewal.”
