Number of councils to trial local area agreements doubled

The government is to more than double the number of councils it
is to trial local area agreements in, writes Derren
Hayes.

Nick Raynsford

When announced initially by local government minister Nick
Raynsford in July, LAAs – which give new flexibilities to councils
to pool revenue streams from different government departments to
spend on local priorities – were to be piloted in nine areas.
However, due to the high level of interest in the concept, it will
be trialled by 21 local authorities who will also involve dozens of
lower tier councils.

The pilots, a joint initiative between the Home Office and
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will begin next year with a
view to being rolled out across the rest of England by 2007.

They will be based around three themes: children and young
people, safer and stronger communities and health and older people,
with priorities set to achieve local public service agreements.

Pilot areas are: Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Dorset,
Devon, Kent, Brighton & Hove, Suffolk, Peterborough, Derby,
Derbyshire, Telford & Wrekin, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Wigan,
Knowsley, Stockton-on-Tees, Gateshead, Barnsley, Sheffield,
Doncaster and Bradford.