Local government

Plan rationalisation

The 2001 White Paper 'Stong Local Leadership - Quality Public Services' talked about a need to reduce and rationalise the requirements for authorities to prepare plans to central government specificiations.

Since then there have been dramatic reduction in plans - instead of over 60, plan requirements were reduced to around six major service plans by 2005/06 for all authorities. For all authorities there will have been a 75 per cent reduction of the separate number of plans being required against 2001 baseline figures by 2006. The freedom from seven statutory plan requirements for the highest performing authorities was granted on 1 February 2005. The seven statutory plans that high performers are exempted from are:

  • Rights of Way Improvement Plan
  • Air Quality Action Plan
  • Home Energy Conservation Report
  • Local Transport Plan
  • Bus Strategy
  • Homelessness Plan
  • Youth Justice Plan

There is now enhanced scope for authorities to group existing plan requirements with other plans to provide greater flexibility about the manner in which obligations are given effect.  Monitoring requirements are also being reviewed, particularly for high performing authorities to reduce them to the minimum compatible with proper management of expenditure programmes or assessment of progress against targets.

A summary of the position on plan requirements is included in the letter to Phil Hope, available to download below. 

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