Local area agreements

As part of this, over 1,200 indicators for assessing performance were reduced to a national indicator set of just 198 representing what Government believe to be national priorities. The 198 are divided into seven outcomes:

1. stronger communities
2. safer communities
3. children and young people
4. adult health and wellbeing
5. tackling exclusion and promoting equality
6. local economy
7. environmental sustainability.

Local authorities are required to agree what their priorities are with key partners in the public sector through their local strategic partnerships. The outcome is a local area agreement (LAA) for each authority in the country.

An LAA is a three-year agreement between central government, local authorities and major local delivery partners in an area. From April 2008, LAAs are the only place where targets are agreed with the Government. Each LAA has up to 35 locally-selected targets drawn from the national indicator set complemented by 17 statutory targets on educational attainment and early years. In addition local targets have been set although these are not subject to the LAA performance monitoring framework.

The targets cover all activities that the local authorities and their partners are responsible for. We have negotiated the targets on behalf of the agencies and departments of central government that we represent. In preparation for this activity we established teams to carry out negotiations in particular geographic areas. Each area is headed by a locality manager whose details are listed below.

• Northumberland and North Tyneside
  Andrew Cartwright, 0191 202 3570, andrew.cartwright@gone.gsi.gov.uk
  
• Tyne and Wear
  Jamie McKay (Newcastle, South Tyneside), 0191 202 3760, jamie.mckay@gone.gsi.gov.uk
  Tom Smyth (Gateshead, Sunderland), 0191 202 3661, tom.smyth@gone.gsi.gov.uk
  
• Tees Valley
  Hilton Heslop (Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough), 0191 202 2291, hilton.heslop@gone.gsi.gov.uk
  Eddie Wrigley (Stockton), 0191 202 3721, eddie.wrigley@gone.gsi.gov.uk
  
• Durham and Darlington
  Stephen Downs, 0191 202 3676, stephen.downs@gone.gsi.gov.uk

The key aims of the LAA are to:

• improve coordination between central government, local authorities and their partners
• improve service delivery by empowering local authorities to make decisions and reduce bureaucracy
• improve efficiency
• improve partnership working between public services.

Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government signed the 12 North East LAAs in July 2008. Copies of these and contact details can be obtained from the Improvement and Development Agency website.