Policy

20 November, 2007

New package of measures announced for Local Area Agreements

'Genuine solutions that meet local people's concerns'

Local Government Minister, John Healey announced today a package of measures on new Local Area Agreements (LAAs) that give councils the tools to make decisions and improve services and quality of life in their communities.

All Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) are now agreeing which priorities they want to tackle by involving their local communities, before negotiating a maximum of 35 targets with government.

Some of the measures announced include:

  • Eleven LAA demonstration areas in Stockton, Sunderland, Leeds, Manchester, Coventry, Leicester, Essex, Portsmouth, Cornwall, Westminster and Lambeth, who will work closely with government to explore how to deliver ambitious LAAs and help to transfer to other areas.
  • Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities: draft statutory Guidance for consultation on the duties under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act setting out how the new laws will enable local government and LSPs to develop effective LAAs and sustainable community strategies; ensure effective consultation with local communities through the 'duty to involve' and ensure commitment from local partner agencies through the 'duty to co-operate'.
  • 'Development of the new LAA framework' The second phase of operational guidance to support the negotiation of LAAs by June 2008. It explains how LSPs can use their local vision, evidence and the radically streamlined national indicator set to develop their LAA. It highlights the importance of engaging with councillors, communities, voluntary groups and businesses to agree shared priorities, a timetable for implementation and the new more flexible arrangements for performance management and area based grant.

Speaking at the LAA Conference today, John Healey said -

'We've radically cut the number of national indicators, to give LSPs more freedom to decide how to focus their efforts and resources, enshrined LAAs in law with duties to involve and co-operate to make them more effective and accountable, and provided guidance to help support effective and ambitious agreements.

Every LAA will be unique, tailored to meet the unique circumstances of different places - whether they are rural or urban, densely or sparsely populated, and no matter what challenges they face. But what they will all have in common is an expression of the pride, purpose and leadership that local authorities can give.

Now it is the time for local leaders to act. I want them to seize this opportunity, be ambitious and deliver genuine solutions that meet local people's aspirations and concerns'.

Welcoming the new measures, Chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Simon Milton said -

'LAAs provide a strong platform for local leadership enabling the local authority to build, with partners, a strong shared vision for the area and to take decisive action to tackle problems and create new opportunities ... Our ambition is to deepen local democracy, develop more citizen-centred services, and promote stronger, more cohesive communities.'

For more information see the Communities and Local Government press release Local Government in driving seat for decision making and delivery.

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