Local Area Agreements and partnerships
Partnership working is of increasing importance for councils. Working together with other services delivered locally, such as police, health services, bodies involved in skills or economic development and others, is an important means of meeting the council's overall ambition for the place it represents, sometimes referred as the 'place shaping role'.
The council generally leads this role by bringing together a Local Strategic Partnership. The ambitions for the area are set out in a Sustainable Community Strategy and related thematic strategies. The formal agreement with other public services is set out in a Local Area Agreement, which become a legal requirement under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. More on LAAs.
The LGA has promoted the role of councils as democratic leaders of local partnership working, and successfully argued for greater local flexibility in determining and implementing local priorities through partnership working.
Councillors can lead and shape Local Area Agreements through:
- Leadership of the council and the LSP
- Strategy development in particular as the council agrees the Sustainable Community Strategy
- Scrutiny of the Local Area Agreement
The LGA is also working with councils and central government to develop new Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs). Find out more about MAAs.
Content marked with a red 'M' is only available to you if you are from a Local Government Association member council and have registered on the website. You will also be able to use your username and password on other Local Government Group websites.