Plans have been unveiled that will give local people the chance to make their views known on the priorities they want local councils and other agencies to tackle. The plans, published by Local Government Minister John Healey, will see residents asked for their views on a range of issues in a new Place Survey. 

Local Government has a new brand. Called ‘My Council’ it has been launched by the Local Government Association and has been designed to show people the range of services that councils provide and how they offer value for money.
The new brand was initially developed as ‘My County Council’ by the authority in Northamptonshire, where it helped to make the council one of the most improved county authorities in terms of how informed residents felt. 

This agreement between Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association is set to radically transform the relationship between councils and the government. It gives unprecedented new freedoms for local areas and communities, but the document is pitched at a high level and has nothing to say about the implications of what has been agreed.