Councils to get new powers to set goals

The government has announced plans to set up new contracts with
councils that will give them greater freedoms to tackle local
problems.

Local area agreements will see councils given new flexibilities to
pool revenue streams from different government departments to spend
on local priorities, such as those included under local public
service agreements. Other statutory, voluntary and private sector
organisations will be involved in the decision making
process.

Additional funds will be available for achieving the targets.

The joint initiative by the Home Office and Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister is to be piloted in nine areas in 2005-6 with a view
to being rolled out across the whole of England in 2007. Pilots
will be based around three key themes: children and young people,
safer and stronger communities, and health and older people.

The Local Government Association said LAAs could help join up local
government “as long as they are democratically accountable through
the leadership of councils”.

National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service policy
director Neil Cleeveley said LAAs would allow the sector to “help
determine what local priorities should be, what the community’s
needs are, and how services should be delivered”. 

– LAA guidance from www.odpm.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2004_0183 

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