29 March 2002
LSPs form a core part of Labour's local government modernisation initiative by bringing together public, private, voluntary and community sectors to identify and deliver local services.
The local government minister told a central London audience on March 26 that LSPs, which have just completed their first year, would continue to grow in importance. But many local authorities have complained that the government has undermined local partnerships by over-prescription.
Responding to demands for reduced government interference, Raynsford acknowledged that there were flaws in the project. 'I can't give a guarantee that there will not be any more [government] initiatives because there are times when they are needed,' he added.
His comments were met with dismay by councillors who attended the New Local Government Network conference, however.
East Cambridgeshire district councillor Philip Lewis said he was 'very sceptical' of interference because it 'had led only to a financially restrictive bureaucratic burden'. He urged Raynsford to 'let councils get on with the task of developing LSPs that suit local priorities'.
But John Williams, executive director of the NLGN, said councils should not fear the government's guiding hand. He said there was still the potential for a large degree of flexibility to suit local priorities without additional bureaucracy.
PFmar2002