Local Area Agreement
Local Area Agreements (LAAs) are three-year agreements negotiated between local areas and the Government, designed to help local partner agencies work together more effectively to improve quality of life for local communities.
Although North Somerset developed an LAA in 2007 (to run to 2010) all local areas were required by central government to have a new Local Area Agreement in place by June 2008.
The new North Somerset LAA 2008 - 2011 (pdf, 419k) (word version , 722k) was submitted to central government in May and received ministerial sign off at the end of June 2008.
The new agreement contains a total of 69 performance indicators, including the stretch targets from the 2007-2010 LAA, and is based around four theme blocks:
Children & Young People
Economic Development & Environment
Health & Wellbeing
Safer & Stronger Communities
Performance indicators in the new agreement were drawn from the new National Indicator Set of 198 indicators published in October 2007 and include 16 statutory Department of Children, Schools & Families education and early years targets.
The next stage in the LAA development process is to draw up detailed action plans to demonstrate how delivery of the targets will be achieved. Work around equalities and sustainability will feed into this process.
At the end of the agreement if particular targets are met North Somerset will be eligible to receive up to £6.4m in performance reward grant from Government. This amount is made up of £5.3m committed from the 2007-2010 LAA and an additional £1.1m for achieving targets within the new LAA.
The NSP SCS/LAA group continues to oversee and monitor delivery of the LAA.
The first North Somerset Local Area Agreement (pdf, 1303k) began in April 2007.
The North Somerset Partnership led negotiations around a range of outcomes, which support the implentation of the Community Strategy, under four blocks or themes:
- Children and young people
- Economic Development & Enterprise
- Healthier communities and older people
- Safer and stronger communities
There were five other issues to be addressed across all the blocks. These are:
- Transport
- Housing
- Equality and diversity
- Sustainability
- Rural proofing
The NSP set up a sub-group to work on developing the agreement and notes from their meetings are available The group will continue to meet to monitor progress against the LAA.
North Somerset Local Area Agreement 2007-2010 (pdf, 1303k)
North Somerset Local Area Agreement 2007-2010 Equalities and Sustainability Information.pdf (pdf, 1189k)
The Board received the first monitoring report at its meeting in October 2007.
Performance Update Jun 07 (pdf, 816k)
Developing the new LAA - Update December 07 (pdf, 156k)