BCP councillors have delayed a decision on whether to examine a community wealth building model that could steer more public spending towards local suppliers. A debate on changing how BCP Council spends public money has been pushed back to December. Councillors agreed to defer member motions after a full council agenda ran late into the night on Tuesday, with the delayed item now expected to return to a meeting in December. The motion, tabled by Councillor Peter Cooper, asks the authority to consider a community wealth building approach that would direct more public spending towards local b
A debate on changing how BCP Council spends public money has been pushed back to December.
Councillors agreed to defer member motions after a full council agenda ran late into the night on Tuesday, with the delayed item now expected to return to a meeting in December.
The motion, tabled by Councillor Peter Cooper, asks the authority to consider a community wealth building approach that would direct more public spending towards local businesses and worker cooperatives locally.
It proposes introducing the "Preston Model", which was pioneered in Preston, Lancashire, and which the motion presents as a way to keep wealth circulating in the local economy over time.
A working group made up of different political parties would examine how hospitals, universities and housing associations could direct procurement contracts to suppliers across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole if councillors later formally backed the proposal.
The proposal also calls for support for the "real Living Wage", expanded apprenticeships and work to explore investing local pension funds in council housing and green energy projects in the area.
