RR3: Freedoms and Flexibilities Negotiated in Pilot Local Area Agreements

Local Area Agreements were introduced by the Government, in July 2004, as part of a wider process of modernisation and localism, which seeks to allow local authorities and local agencies the opportunity to influence and drive the local agenda. Since 2004, 21 Local Area Agreement pilots have been signed off and a further 66 are under negotiation. In particular, the Government recognised that there was a growing need for local authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) to have greater input into how targets are set, how funding is spent and how services are delivered, at the local level.

Local Area Agreements along with Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Public Service Agreements are part of a series of mechanisms that aim to ensure this and that the voice of local government is heard at the national level. It also aims to focus local decision making on the needs of local service users.