Joining up a wide range of local services and bringing organizations together to build partnerships is a critical element of the vision of local government ten years on, presented by Local Government Minister Nick Rainsford. He drew the vision against a changing background of an ageing population with more people aged over 65 than under 16, the rapid growth of one person households and technology developments. 

Chancellor Gordon Brown, in his Budget Statement, revealed how the Prime Minister’s vision of a transformed Civil Service outlined in a speech last month is to be put into effect. All central departments are to cut their budgets by 5% by 2008 and this will result in running costs being reduced to 3.7% compared to the 1990s average of 5.7%. 

This paper is a response from the Local Government Association to Kate Barker’s report on housing supply. Publication of the Barker report provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at how charges on land development can be paid locally so that community services don’t bear the burden unaided. New development puts pressure on roads, schools, health and other local facilities and the Association wants to see money from the increase in land value ploughed back into these services.