Background

What Are Local Area Agreements?

Local Area Agreements are three year strategic service delivery agreements between central Government, local authorities and partners in an area (working through the Local Strategic Partnerships) to improve public services. They support the planning and implementation of agreed priorities of both Government policy and locally identified issues. The intention behind LAA policy is to explore the range for central government departments to devolve detailed daily control of their national programmes and to move towards stronger partnership working with local authorities. In Cheshire, this is to be achieved through agreements negotiated between local partners and Government Office North West (GONW), on behalf of central government, which identify a range of agreed outcomes shared by all partners. LAAs can improve the relationship between central and local government and they reinforce co-operation and partnership working.

In two-tier areas, the higher level local authority acts as the accountable body for the agreement - in Cheshire, this is the County Council. There are real advantages to closer working between the County and the six District Councils that can be facilitated by the LAA and build on existing relationships and joint projects. The Cheshire LAA is designed to support the delivery of the Cheshire Sustainable Community Strategy and the six district-based Community Plans. This has involved extensive consultation and discussion between partners and has benefited from high level engagement from the Communities of Cheshire Partnership (CCP). The development process has been very positive in terms of moving forward multi-agency partnership working across Cheshire.

Earlier Cheshire LAA developments (2007)

Cheshire LAA 2008-2011

Useful documents:

  

 

 

The New Performance Framework for Local Authorities & Local Authority Partnerships: Single Set of National Indicators

(879 kb)

Development of the new LAA framework: Operational Guidance 2007

(369 kb)

LAAs and the new local performance framework (Nov 2007)

(1004 kb)

An introduction to the local performance framework - delivering better outcomes for local people (Nov 2007)

(2.35 mb)

LAAs: A Resource Guide (I&DEA and LGA)

(394 kb)

 

The following websites may also be useful for Local Area Agreement information:-

Government Office North West

Department for Communities and Local Government