News From Other Organisations: 21 pilot areas announced for Local Area Agreements

LAAs are designed to allow local authorities freedom in allocating budgets to address local community needs in three key service areas:

• children and young people
• safer stronger communities
• health and older people

The intention is that pilot authorities will work with partners to negotiate targets and outcomes with central government which will in return allow the authority freedom to achieve these outcome the way they see best. The LAA pilots should build on Local Public Service Agreements and with Community Strategies. They remove some of the existing funding barriers which are seen to limit local authorities' ability to respond to service needs in a way that is flexible and locally appropriate. There is great potential here for voluntary and community organisations working in the key delivery areas or providing advocacy on behalf of local communities to influence how local authorities respond to these issues. The chosen pilot authorities are: Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Dorset, Devon, Kent, Brighton and Hove, Suffolk, Peterborough, Derby, Derbyshire, Telford and Wrekin, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Wigan, Knowsley, Stockton-on-Tees, Gateshead, Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster, and Bradford. More information on LAAs is available in the Local Government section of the ODPM website (now DCLG): http://www.communities.gov.uk/ Read the LAA prospectus: Link to ODPM LAA prospectus