Local government

Local Area Agreements

Local Area Agreements (LAAs) set out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government and a local area (the local authority and Local Strategic Partnership) and other key partners at the local level.

LAAs simplify some central funding, help join up public services more effectively and allow greater flexibility for local solutions to local circumstances.

Through these means, LAAs are helping to devolve decision making, move away from a 'Whitehall knows best' philosophy and reduce bureaucracy.

LAAs are about what sort of place you want to live in. They set out the local priorities that will make your town, city or community a better place to be; they have been negotiated between all the main public sector organisations in your area, your local authority and central Government. The ideas behind them are to:

  • recognise that 'one size does not fit all' and local services should reflect what local people want;
  • give more flexibility to local authorities and other public sector organisations in the ways they deliver services for local people;
  • make local authorities and other public services more accountable to local people;
  • reduce red-tape and improve value for money; and,
  • enable local people to get more involved in decisions about local services.

Visit our Local Priorities website (external link) to see what the priorities are in your area and also where you can get more information about those local priorities.

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Central-Local concordat

Read how central and local government will work together to serve the public.

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