The report of an official commission said that local councillors needed greater support to carry out their role effectively, so that they could remain volunteers rather than full-time representatives. The role of a councillor should be compatible with full-time employment, and the role of most council leaders should be compatible with part-time employment. Action was needed to attract new and more diverse candidates to stand in local elections.
Source: Councillors Commission, Representing the Future, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | DCLG press release | Speech | LGA press release | CRC press release | Unlock Democracy press release | LGIU press release | ERS press release | OBV press release | Fawcett Society press release | Conservative Party press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Dec
The Department for Communities and Local Government published its 2007 autumn performance report, showing progress against its public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2007, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Dec
A concordat was published, designed to transform the relationship between central and local government. Local councils would have the right to lead the delivery of public services in their area and shape their future without 'unnecessary direction or control' by central government.
Source: Central-Local Concordat, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236) and Local Government Association
Links: Concordat | DCLG press release
Date: 2007-Dec
A report examined the progress made in implementing key proposals in the Local Government White Paper published in October 2006. It said that progress across the whole range of activity had been 'rapid'.
Source: Strong and Prosperous Communities: The Local Government White Paper Implementation Plan – One Year On, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Nov
An article said that the principles adopted by the United Kingdom government to guide the reform of public administration in Northern Ireland – of subsidiarity, strong local government, 'coterminosity', and good relations – had not been met.
Source: Derek Birrell, 'The role of local government in the review of public administration in Northern Ireland: the challenges of enhancement, devolution and modernisation', Local Government Studies, Volume 33 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Nov
A study examined how the role of ward councillors was likely to change in England as neighbourhood working, and legislative and policy changes, altered the role of local government. Many non-executive councillors felt distanced from council decision-making, and struggled to engage with local strategic partnerships and other structures set up to influence decisions about mainstream service allocation. The report called for the development of a 'ward councillor compact' – a voluntary two-way agreement between the council and elected members that would help to define the future role of ward councillors, and address issues about support, development, and performance standards.
Source: Saffron James and Ed Cox, Ward Councillors and Community Leadership: A future perspective, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2007-Nov
A report brought together emergent thinking within the opposition Conservative Party on the direction and purpose of local governance.
Source: Mike Bennett and Christina Dykes (eds.), Conservatism, Change and Local Governance, Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Mangers (0845 652 4010)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Oct
A report contained a series of essays presenting a centre-left perspective on local government reform. The essays presented a strongly 'localist' argument for the future, with a radically different central state and a greatly enhanced role for local government.
Source: Patrick Diamond (ed.), The Progressive Agenda: Revitalising public service reform, Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (0845 652 4010)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Oct
The Greater London Authority Act 2007 was given Royal assent. The Act provided for an enhanced package of powers for the GLA – including new lead roles on housing and tackling climate change, a strengthened role in planning and waste, and enhanced powers in health and culture.
Source: Greater London Authority Act 2007, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | DCLG press release
Date: 2007-Oct
The Northern Ireland Executive published the emerging findings of the review on the future shape of local government. It made proposals for an initial package of functions that should transfer to local government.
Source: Review of Local Government Aspects of the Review of Public Administration: Emerging Findings, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2007-Oct
The government published an 'empowerment action plan' – setting out how the government would deliver on its commitment to bring about greater devolution and empower communities. It said that more people would be given more power over their communities in tackling anti-social behaviour, managing social housing, tackling litter and fly tipping, and improving playgrounds and parks.
Source: An Action Plan for Community Empowerment: Building on success, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Plan | DCLG press release | Involve press release
Date: 2007-Oct
A think-tank report said that local councils should be given a greater role in managing health services where primary care trusts were failing.
Source: Victoria Barbary, Primary Care Trusts: Tailoring Commissioning, New Local Government Network (020 7357 0051)
Links: Report | NLGN press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Aug
A report examined how reforms introduced by the Local Government Act 2000 had been embedded four years later. It focused on three key objectives of the Act: more visible and effective local leadership; enhanced democratic legitimacy; and provision of sufficient checks and balances.
Source: Francesca Gains, Stephen Greasley, Peter John and Gerry Stoker, New Council Constitutions Four Years On: Findings from the 2006 ELG Census Survey, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report set out key proposals for the future of local government. All councils should work to a nationally agreed 'framework of excellence'. Councils should lead the development of a more local approach to public service improvement, based on a devolutionary agenda and renewed partnership with central government.
Source: Our Future: A prospectus for local government, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000)
Links: Report | LGA press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A report set out the case for devolving greater responsibility for employment and skills issues, including welfare to work, to local authorities.
Source: Welfare Reform: The case for devolution, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report examined the impact of different forms of political leadership in local government in England created through the Local Government Act 2000.
Source: Francesca Gains, Stephen Greasley, Peter John and Gerry Stoker, Does Leadership Matter: A summary of evidence on the role and impact of political leadership in English local government, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
A think-tank report put forward a 10-point action plan to improve local election turnout and encourage the selection of more diverse candidates. It advocated switching to a single transferable vote (STV) system for councils.
Source: Jo Dungey, Democracy Day, Local Government Information Unit (020 7554 2800)
Links: Report | LGIU press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A report said that local councils should play a greater role in the criminal justice system. Local authorities were best placed to co-ordinate services including housing, education, and health, which were key to prisoner rehabilitation.
Source: Rob Allen and Vivien Stern (eds.), Justice Reinvestment: A new approach to crime and justice, International Centre for Prison Studies/King?s College London (020 7848 1922)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report examined the characteristics of successful County Associations of Local Councils - independent, autonomous bodies supporting their member parish and town councils, primarily funded by subscriptions from their constituent councils.
Source: The Features and Characteristics of Successful County Associations of Local Councils, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (020 7340 2900)
Links: Report | CRC press release
Date: 2007-Jun
The Department for Communities and Local Government published its departmental report for 2006-07, outlining its performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Community, Opportunity, Prosperity: Annual Report 2007, Cm 7094, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
The Welsh Assembly government published a policy statement setting out what it expected of local authorities and the support it could provide in return. The aim was to help develop a new approach to local governance for public service delivery, in the form of local service boards and local service agreements - and in particular to promote strong joint working between local government and the National Health Service.
Source: A Shared Responsibility: Local government's contribution to improving people's lives, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Links removed from WAG website
Date: 2007-Mar
A survey found that local councillors spent an average of 21.9 hours each week in 2006 on council and party business, slightly up on 2004 (21.4 hours). Councillors were dedicated to representing their communities, but often struggled to maintain a reasonable 'politics-life balance'.
Source: Census of Councillors 2006, Improvement and Development Agency (020 7296 6693)
Links: Report | IDeA press release | Guardian report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2007-Mar
A report said that if increasing antagonism towards traditional democratic practices and institutions were to be reversed, local political authorities should be willing and able to move beyond consumer satisfaction and public consultation to more deliberative and participatory politics.
Source: John Annette and Stella Creasy, Individual Pathways in Participation, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report | ESRC press release
Date: 2007-Feb
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to tighten partnership arrangements between local councils and other public bodies, and deliver closer integration of health and social care. It placed duties on councils and named partners to co-operate in drawing up and having regard to local area agreement targets. Partners included primary care trusts, youth offending teams, police authorities, and local probation boards.
Source: Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 22 January 2007, columns 1144-1253, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | LGIU press release | Community Care report | FT report
Date: 2007-Jan
The government published an implementation plan for its Local Government White Paper. Key milestones included: the launch of the Commission on Local Councillors to review barriers and incentives to serving on councils (February 2007); the report of a review of community management and ownership of assets (March 2007); and consultation on draft 'best value' guidance, including commissioning and community involvement (summer/autumn 2007).
Source: Strong and Prosperous Communities: The Local Government White Paper - Making it Happen: The Implementation Plan, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Plan | DCLG press release
Date: 2007-Jan
A report examined the issues threatening the future of local councillors, and explored how a new generation of 'frontline' councillors could emerge as facilitators, leaders, and ambassadors for the communities they served.
Source: Ed Cox, Frontline Councillor 2017: Empowering a new generation, Local Government Information Unit (020 7554 2800)
Links: LGIU press release
Date: 2007-Jan