Archived decisions

Contact : Becky Whale Ext. 7967 [email protected] and

Paddy Hillary Ext. 7391 [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That section 4 of this report be sent to the LGA as the County Council's response to the consultation document Independence, Opportunity, Trust - an agenda for local communities.

2. Reason

2.1 This consultation represents an opportunity to feed into LGA and government thinking regarding the current and future direction of local government. It is part of the wider consultation taking place around the ODPM's ten year Strategy for Local Government.

2.2 Responses to this consultation must be sent to the LGA by 30^th June 2004.

2.3 This decision supports the following aims of the Corporate Strategy:

Aim 5: Improving Services

Aim 6: Developing Councillors and Staff

3. Other options considered and rejected: Decline to send a response.

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted - Not applicable.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standard's Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor T K Thornber CBE

Contact : Becky Whale Ext. 7967 [email protected] and

Paddy Hillary Ext. 7391 [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1. This new consultation paper from the LGA sets out a vision for local communities for 2014 and explores the challenges we will face as we move towards that vision. The responses to the paper will be used as the basis of what the LGA describe as a 'new phase of dialogue with central government about the role of local government in public sector improvement'. Some of the key issues are set out below.

2. Background

2.1. Public sector improvement will be one of the main issues on the domestic agenda in the run up to the next general election. We are being asked to engage in this debate and help identify the key contribution which the county council can make.

2.2. The consultation paper is the first output of several new strands of inter-related work which the LGA will feed into the ODPM's consultation on a 10 year strategy for local government. The other work will include:

· A series of `future basing' seminars with member authorities to relate the 2014 vision to their own community planning. We are one of six authorities who have been asked to take part in this exercise which will challenge one theme of our community strategy. The day will be addressing the theme of `accessibility'. It will examine the barriers which may be preventing us from realising our goals and paint a picture for politicians of what needs to change. This event is due to take place in July.

· A series of evening debates.

· Four debates at the LGA Annual Conference.

· A second publication in September setting out firmer proposals for the next five years.

3. The Consultation Paper

3.1. The paper sets out a vision for self-governing communities for 2014 and is attached for your information.

3.2. The LGA's vision for 2014 `is of self-governing communities in every part of England and Wales; sustainable communities that are prosperous, healthy and cohesive, but, just as importantly, different from each other; communities that draw strength from their distinctive identity and contribution to our national economy, culture and political life.' (page 2)

3.3. The document itself states that the vision is no more or less aspirational than many community strategies and election manifestos. Indeed, it is in line with the aspirations of our own community strategy and the county council's overall direction of travel.

3.4. In order to deliver the vision they have set out a number of steps that could be taken by government. They are as follows:

· A new approach to improving public services. The LGA want to see a continued drive for increased efficiency combined with greater ability for people to influence the shape and scope of the services provided locally;

· An unambiguous re-assertion of the importance of the local politics. The LGA want to explore new opportunities for councillors to represent the people who elect them on local bodies and service providers;

· A new process for expenditure planning and target-setting in Whitehall which genuinely takes account of local priorities and pressures;

· Reformed business planning in government agencies and local public bodies which is fully integrated with the local community strategy and local public service agreement;

· A new relationship between council and government based on single pot funding and PSA-type agreements which reflect the different priorities in each locality:

· A new way of funding local services, with at least 75 per cent of councils' income being raised locally;

· A streamlined approach to inspection of local services which is more integrated, risk-based and focuses on the delivery of local priorities; and

· A commitment to working with local councils to promote genuine devolution beyond the town hall and a new relationship between councils and local institutions and organisations.

4. Response

4.1. Overall, we could subscribe to the vision for 2014 and agree with the direction of travel set out in the document.

4.1.1. As an `excellent' authority, Hampshire County Council has been recognised for its efficient delivery of services. However, the freedoms and flexibilities promised to enable us to improve further and shape our services to fit local needs, have not been as extensive as we would have hoped. We would like to ensure a cooperative approach to working between local and central government, which allows `excellent' authorities to play to their strengths with central government trusting us to get on with the job. We support the LGA's commitment to ensuring greater local determination of service delivery.

4.1.2. We believe councillors have the democratic mandate to represent local communities on local bodies and service providers and would like to see a renewed commitment from government to this. It is important that councillors are given the freedom to get on with the job and fulfil their community leadership role without being distracted by relentless `top-down' initiatives imposed by central government.

4.1.3. We believe that local priorities should determine expenditure planning and target-setting in the local areas which should in turn inform national policy.

4.1.4. We would welcome a stronger integration between business planning in government agencies and local public bodies, and our local priorities as set out in our corporate and community strategies. We would also like to see greater freedoms for public agencies which would enable them to maximise the effectiveness of partnership working and respond to locally defined priorities.

4.1.5. Whilst we would welcome a new relationship between councils and government based on single pot funding, there are concerns that the suggested mechanisms for delivering this, Local Area Agreements and Local Public Service Boards could create confusion. There is a need to link suggested changes with existing mechanisms such as LSPs and community strategies and ensure that they are resourced appropriately. However, it is also important that LSPs do not lose their bottom-up approach which could be at risk if they were to become deliverers of government policy rather than local priorities. We would not support a single pot funding approach which relied on top slicing existing budgets to deliver centrally imposed priorities.

4.1.6. We support the principle of increasing the amount of council income being raised locally. The existing 75:25 split between central and local taxation does not allow local government to raise and control sufficient of its income to ensure meaningful local accountability. We believe that transferring the business rates to local control, thereby improving the balance of funding to 50:50, subject to linking the increase in business rates to an appropriate index of cost increases for local government, would be an appropriate way forward. This move would also encourage local businesses to engage more with their local councils. We would not support a movement towards 75 per cent of councils' income being raised locally if it were to be achieved by the removal of any of the key functions that strategic local authorities currently perform.

4.1.7. We support a streamlined approach to both targets and inspection. We would welcome a new approach which recognises that one size does not fit all and gives greater scope for local determination.

4.1.8. We support increased devolution of decision-making from central to local government. We believe that the government's current proposals for elected regional assemblies represent an expensive and unnecessary distraction from the meaningful devolution of decision-making to the local level. We fully support the LGA's commitment to working with local councils to promote genuine democratic devolution which is in line with our own movement towards local area arrangements, and our relationships with town and parish councils.

4.2. We would be willing to work with the LGA to build up the evidence base of local experience to better inform national policy development.

Recommendation

That the response outlined in section 4 above be sent to the LGA.

5. Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

6. The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

7. NB the list excludes:

8. Published works

9. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

10. File Location