Issue - meetings

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director Corporate and Policy which set out the annual review and refresh of the Local Area Agreement (LAA).

            Members were advised that in 2008-11 LAA was undergoing its first annual refresh. The focus of this refresh was to:

• Agree targets for those indicators for which no baseline information was available last May.  This included all those indicators measured by surveys conducted in the autumn of 2008;

• Review a number of targets for which local baseline information was used and which now needed to be updated in light of new national data sets; and

• taken the opportunity to review a number of indicators with local partners for which targets set nationally for Halton were clearly unachievable.

Members were advised that the Government had acknowledged that the ability to meet employment related targets would be affected by the recession. It had been agreed that these would be reviewed next year. Members were further advised of the timetable for the finalisation of the agreement with Government, as set out in the report.

                        It was noted that the Council had delegated to this Board, the approval of the LAA. Given the timetable set out in the report and that as there was not another Board meeting until 2^nd April 2009 it was recommended that delegated powers be granted for any further amendments to be made as a result of feedback from Government.

                        It was noted that a copy of the revised outcomes framework was attached to the report as an appendix and set out those targets which had changed since the LAA was originally approved in 2008.

Members were advised that two indicators had been deleted from the LAA. The first, NI 124 related to patients with long term conditions who were supported to live independently and the second indicator removed was NI173, people falling out of work and onto incapacity benefits.

The Sustainable Community Strategy had a longer term vision and also contained other local indicators and targets in addition to those negotiated with the Government through the LAA.

REASON (S) FOR DECISION

Under the Local Government Act (2007) there is a statutory duty on all local authorities to produce a Local Area Agreement to the format and timetable set down by Government.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED

No other options were pursued. The Agreement process is a prescriptive one and Halton has followed Government guidance.

IMPLEMENTATION DATE

The Local Area Agreement will come into force when the Agreement in its final form is agreed and signed by the Minister for Local Government. This is expected to take place in April 2009.

                        RESOLVED: That

                        (1) the revised Local Area Agreement be adopted; and

(2) that the Chief Executive be given delegated authority in consultation with the Leader and the relevant Portfolio-holder to make final amendments to the Local Area Agreement during the course of negotiation and approval by the Government.

            A Local Area Agreement (LAA) was a three-year protocol that sets out the priorities for a local area. This must be agreed between Central Government and the area itself, as represented by the Lead Local Authority and other key partners through Local Strategic Partnership. Government had stipulated that Halton would be in Round 3 of the Programme. Consequently, an agreement must be negotiated by April 2007. The Board considered an update report on the process and progress made to date.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)       the draft agreement be endorsed and its submission to Government Office by the 30^th September deadline be agreed; and

(2)       the Leader and Chief Executive be given delegated power to make any necessary drafting amendments to the submission following the meeting of Executive Board.