26 September 2008
Local area agreement negotiations in two-tier areas proved difficult because of the numbers of bodies involved, a government review has found.
LAA negotiations in 2008 was published to provide a snapshot of how well these agreements came together, rather than as detailed research, the Department for Communities and Local Government said.
It added that rationalising the number of partnerships and priorities in areas with both county and district councils had proved difficult to achieve, as it had also been necessary to ensure that sufficient consultation took place.
Voluntary sector bodies had voiced concern at the outset of the negotiations that they would be sidelined by central and local government.
The review says these fears had not been realised and the move away from the old LAA 'block' system to one based
on local priorities 'played better to third sector strengths'.
Local authorities had complained of a lack of clarity on what 'signing up' to a target meant, and to how scrutiny processes would hold LAA partners to account.
There were also 'some tensions between striking the balance between locally and nationally driven priorities,' the report notes, although central and local tiers had in most cases worked well together to shape the agreements and decide which targets would be adopted in each area.
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