People and places update LGA Executive, 7 th September 2006 Context - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

People and places update

LGA Executive, 7th September 2006

Context

• Cautious government – whose WP ?
• Uninspiring WP – not radical devolution but

lightening central burden

• Emphasis on what local government needs to do

i.e. empowering citizens, making efficiencies rather than new constitutional framework and transforming services

• WP important but only a milestone
• Other important levers of influence e.g. Varney,

Leitch, Barker, Eddington, leading to CSR 07 which will be key for crucial national outcomes

Tactics

• Reposition and re-write the narrative, to focus on:

– Better outcomes for people and places through radical redesign and devolution – Local people put in the driving seat in improving public services: deregulation and removal of national targets a means to that end – New performance framework externally rigorous not soft peer review

• identify domino effects:

– success on national outcomes will unlock design of performance framework – economic levers depends first on moving LAAs to a different place (totality of funding; contract between partners at local level)

Tactics

• Up ante with government on key work

strands: – National outcomes and performance framework – Economic growth levers – Closer to people,

• But at same time target key 3rd party

supporters and detractors

• And – behind-scenes lobbying combined

with judicious vocal campaigning

Supporters and detractors, believers and doubters

Importance

H L

On message

Y N

DCLG DEFRA AC national

• utcomes

AC perf f’work HMT PMDU NCC No 10? DCMS DfES HO DH/CSCI Councils perf f’work Councils outcomes LSC OFSTED NHS Confed

Performance framework - tactics

• More aggressive on right battle grounds
• The difficult areas no-one can get right e.g.

customer satisfaction, vfm

• The role of inspectorates as primary ‘doers’
• r performance monitoring
• National outcomes

Our proposals

• Some 30 national outcomes agreed with

government at a fairly headline level

• Included in every council’s community strategy and

the strategic plans of other public service providers

• Supported by a small number of nationally

negotiated and more specific targets

• Supported by larger number of locally drawn

ambitious targets

Next steps

• Consensus on outcomes to be reached

– bilaterals with civil servants and stakeholders underway – series of meetings with councils planned throughout early autumn

• Practical implications i.e. levers for delivery and

influence, specific contributions partners make to be worked through

• Next iteration with more specifics for discussion

with ministers mid October

• CSR07 key influencing channel

Economic growth levers - tactics

• Develop very concrete and specific propositions for

a bold devolution – to help Ruth with her colleagues

• Push hard ourselves on the Ministry doors that are

partially open – Transport, Skills and Worklessness

• Address accountability “for when it goes wrong”

coupled with hard examples of LA success on big projects (and comparison with gov)

• Exploit key commentators and advisers
• Redouble efforts with key partners

Economic growth levers - propositions

• Transport:

ability to manage and get services delivered that meet the strategic economic needs: through powers over buses (franchising) and local rail networks ability to raise revenue for re-investment through eg: road pricing; fare setting; new routes, including borrowing capital resource against income streams; tax increment (development of BIDs?) extending powers and influence to cover major roads Role in rail strategy and station improvement drawing down planning and regeneration powers – investment decisions at local level backed by money raised locally

Economic growth levers - propositions

• Skills and Employment:

LSCs restructured and statutorily able to fully engage in new style LAA: their local strategies aimed at delivering LAA vision for the locality, within funding aligned to LAA vision devolved DWP benefits policy to allow interventions to meet local conditions – eg flexibility in rules on timing at which welfare to work programmes for lone parents kick in reinvestment locally of benefits savings – P&P vision of next generation of LAA would facilitate this

Economic growth levers - propositions

• Planning:

planning system that allows a more entrepreneurial and creative approach by removing clutter: integrate Local Dev Framework and community planning systems into single system remove bureaucracy and second-guessing from Planning Inspectorate work – review of process not de novo tougher enforcement powers – remove right of appeal against council enforcement notice remove minor households requirements transfer SoS right of appeal planning decisions derived from vision for the place: councils given explicit role on strategic land use decisions coupled with tariff system better showing local benefit the LAA or super-LAA vision for strategic development to drive subsequent decisions in individual councils front-line councillors working with local communities on planning, to improve ‘their’ space

Economic growth levers - propositions

• Bringing together economic regeneration

function/tools: – local authority given clear lead role in legislation as convenor of players and assets to lead vision for local economic growth combined with social justice – regional strategies to be streamlined into single broad regional spatial, economic and housing plan guided by strong local political input – governance structures to develop organically, based on P&P-type next generation LAA, also able to handle capital funds – to allow regeneration funding to support vision

Economic growth levers - propositions

• Bringing together economic regeneration

function/tools: – development of ‘single pot’ to city region/sub-reg partnership – city region/sub-reg partnership to take on role of Reg Housing Board and allocate capital monies – RDAs better held to account through involvement in LAAs/super-LAAs – Funding locally derived, with local public sector borrowing outside the PSBR golden rule

Economic growth levers – next steps

• Series of workshops with authorities to

provide real case studies to test propositions – and tease out issues around differentiated approach

• Bilateral work to achieve 3rd party

endorsement about local gov role – RDAs, CBI, BCC, BRC, LSCs

• Harness national commentators and think-

tanks

Summary

• WP a milestone towards CSR07
• Reposition our arguments and re-double efforts

both directly, via third parties, and in media

• Press hard on these key workstrands but within
• verall narrative of bold devolution and radical shift
• f power to local people
• Turn specific propositions into permissive

legislation and demonstrator pilots

• Be prepared to shift tactics in case political

environment changes rapidly