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Local Area Agreements

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A Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement that sets out the priorities for a local area negotiated between the local strategic partnership (LSP) and the regional Government Office (GO). The LSP consists of all the key players in a local area who deliver services.

The local authority negotiates the LAA on behalf of its LSP and is the only body accountable to government. Government Offices have been given the leading role in negotiating LAAs. They provide local partners with a single point of contact with central Government.

Further information about LAAs, inlcuding the agreements for 2008-2011, can be found in the following sections:

LAA 2008-2011
National Wider Policy Environment
National Policy LAA Structure
Supporting documentation
Striking the Deal - Determining Local Priorities
LAA Case Studies

LAA 2008-2011
Ministers signed-off the Local Area Agreements (LAA) negotiated between the upper-tier authority areas and Government Office for the East Midlands in July 2008. Nationally well over 50% of LAA's identify National Indicator (NI) 8 (Adult Participation in Sport) as one of the most important priorities that partners will work collaboratively to contribute towards.

This pattern goes deeper in the East Midlands where eight out of nine upper-tier authority areas have identified NI 8 as a designated target.

The opportunities are not just restricted to participation in sport. The LAA's also signal plenty of further opportunities to use the best that sport has to offer in meeting other goals via the following National Indicators (NI's).

NI 1 (percentage of people who believe that people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area) appears as a designated target in 8 of 9 LAA's.
NI 6 (participation in regular volunteering) appears as a designated indicator in 9 of 9 and also as a local indicator in one further LAA.
NI 7 (environment for a thriving third sector) appears in 5 of 9.
NI 57 (children and young people's participation in high quality PE and sport) appears in 4 of 9.
NI 110 (young people's participation in positive activities) appears in 6 of 9.

LAA 2008 -2011 resources
East Midlands LAA 2008-2011 (27 Kb)

Communities and Local Government (CLG) local priorities web site

IDeA Supporting information web site
The site provides access to a comprehensive list of local area agreements by region and a matrix which allows a search by indicator and authority.

National Wider Policy Environment
The clear direction of travel of national policy is to promote a stronger role for local authorities to lead their communities, shape their areas and bring local public services together. The following documents provide the context for this shift.

Local Government White Paper: Strong and Prosperous Communities
Lyons inquiry into local government
Sub-national economic develeopment and regeneration review
Lifting the Burdens Task Force
A Very English Revolution – delivering bolder and better Local Area Agreements
Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities Statutory Guidance: Draft for Consultation
Local Government in driving seat for decision making and delivery
Consultation on Comprehensive Area Assessment

National Policy LAA Structure
The White Paper ‘Strong and Prosperous Communities’ published in October 2006 set out fundamentally different arrangements for LAAs. In building the case for sports inclusion in LAAs it is vital to understand the framework in which they are developed.

Ultimately these three-year agreements with the 9 upper-tier authorities in the East Midlands will have an increasing impact on whether local authority and other partners investment in sport and physical activity is maintained, grows or diminishes. The period to June 2008, when all second generation LAAs will be signed-off, is critical.

Detailed information about LAAs can be found:

Performance Framework, Partnerships and Local Area Agreements
An introduction to the local performance framework
Existing Local Area Agreements
Negotiating New Local Area Agreements
LAA Dry-run negotiations: Final Report
Development of the new LAA framework - Operational Guidance 2007
Consultation on the New Place Survey

Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Sport England recognises the contribution sport makes to communities. It is in all of our interests to make the case effectively and to ensure the Delivery System for Community Sport, or what is delivered through it, is embedded and reflected within the signed agreements.

There is plenty of supporting information and in sport we have two further advantages we have evidence to back our case, principally through the Active People Survey and we have a Delivery System which can drive impact locally. Additional information and guidance is available from:

Analysis of Opportunities for Sport in the ‘Place’ Agenda in the East Midlands (169 Kb)
Sport England’s new direction, and definition of sport for National Indicator 8
Cultural Improvement Partnership East Midlands
Guidance on Integrating Culture and Sport into Local Area Agreements in the East Midlands
Setting Improvement Targets for National Indicator 8 (NI8)
National Indicator 8 - adult participation in sport and active recreation
Baseline for National Indicator 8
DCMS Technical Note on Sport and Recreation in the National Indicator 8
Local Area Agreements 2008 to 2011 - Performance Reward Grant
Places Survey
Data Interchange Hub

Striking the Deal – Determining Local Priorities
The LAA is negotiated between the Local Strategic Partnership within the 9 upper-tier (County or City) authorities and the Government Office for the East Midlands. The Local Strategic Partnership is responsible for preparing the Sustainable Community Strategy which in the future will drive the priorities of the LAA.

The following links provide details of the 9 upper-tier authorities and where available the link to the existing Sustainable Community Strategy and their original LAA.

Derbyshire's Sustainable Community Strategy
Derby City Partnership
The Leicester Partnership
Leicestershire Draft Sustainable Community Strategy
Lincolnshire Assembly - LSPs and Community Strategies
Northamptonshire County Council
Nottinghamshire Community Strategy 2005-2009
One Nottingham
Rutland Together

LAA Case Studies
We are working on a series of case studies against the main LAA themes ‘Stronger and Safer Communities’, ‘Healthier Communities and Older People’, ‘Children and Young People’ and ‘Enterprise and Environment’. We are looking for your input too, we want to showcase innovative projects which have the potential to be replicated elsewhere. By sharing practice we can learn from the best ideas and grow the impact of the sector across the region.

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