Local Area Agreements (LAAs) are a new way of striking a
deal between central Government, local authorities and major local delivery
partners in an area. More information on
the National Picture.
Local Area
Agreements
The White Paper ‘Strong and
Prosperous Communities’ published in October 2006 set
out fundamentally different arrangements for LAAs. LAAs will
provide local authorities and partners with the flexibility and capacity to
deliver the best solutions for their areas through a reformed relationship
between central and local government.
New LAAs
were introduced from April 2008 meaning that LAAs are the only place where
central government agree targets with local authorities and their
partners on outcomes delivered by local government on its own and in
partnership with
others.
In addition the Local Government and Public Involvement in
Health Bill places a statutory requirement on the local authority to
develop an LAA and duties on named partners to co-operate with the
authority. Councils are also able to agree local targets with partners that
will not need to be reported to central government but which will have the
same status as targets negotiated with central
government.
An indicative timetable for the negotiation of the new LAAs is provided
below.
