Agenda item

The Chairman invited Lusi Manukyan (LM), Senior Adviser – Improvement & Policy – and Phillip Clifford (PC), Senior Adviser, to introduce the update.

LM summarised the LGA’s support offer on devolution and levelling up. This comprised two main strands:

·       Existing devolution support, such as support to councils to develop and communicate an evidence base for devolution deals.

·       New levelling up support, developed through extensive engagement with councils to develop a product that is resilient to any potential future change in Government policy. Importantly in the current climate, this includes a new cost of living support hub.

Members’ comments and questions:

·       Members asked how much of the support for councils was new and how was it being marketed to councils? LM responded that everything in paragraph 5 of the report on levelling up was new support in addition to the support around providing an evidence base for devolution deals. PC added that there were 9 new areas coming forward for devolution deals and so much new support and funding would be targeted at these. The various strands of support are brought together in the devolution and levelling up hubs so that councils know what is available in one place. The support offer is mainly marketed through the devolution bulletin, which has significantly increased subscribers in recent times.

·       It was suggested that progress on county deal areas was likely to move quickly after September and so it was important that councils in these areas were able to access support in a timely manner. LM stressed that the LGA only provided support to areas in response to an approach for help and then only when all authorities in that area agreed that support should be provided.

·       In relation to county combined authorities, where the district councils would not be constituent members of the combined authority, clarity was sought on whether the LGA’s support offer would extend to those districts. It was suggested that this specific issue needed to be resolved by the LGA moving forward.

Decision:

Improvement & Innovation Board noted the programme of support available to councils on devolution and levelling up.