Local government should never stand still and the same is true of the bodies that represent it.
So, I’m pleased to say that the District Councils’ Network, the organisation I have chaired since last year, has recently transformed into the Local Councils Network.
While this transition is, in part, a response to district councils in England being set to disappear in local government reorganisation (LGR), it also offers a chance to build something new.
The Local Councils Network (LCN), which was launched at our annual conference in March, is a new body to stand up for councils. Our members include unitary councils and, for as long as they continue to exist, districts.
We’re very much a cross-party organisation and we’re bound together by our passion for genuinely local government. We remain a special interest group of the LGA.
It’s our job to represent the views of our member councils at the highest levels of government to influence policy, securing them the best outcomes.
This is more vital work than ever – we’re operating at a time of unprecedented change, in which councils need as much support as they can get.
It’s not just LGR that is changing the world in which we operate. The speed of technological change is dizzying, the public spending outlook is bleak, and the political and economic climate has never felt more volatile.
However, while there are pitfalls everywhere that we need to avoid, there is also significant opportunity.
“Reform to… coordinate local government services with those of the NHS, police and others could be revolutionary”
Local public sector reform to integrate or coordinate local government services with those of the NHS, police and others could be revolutionary.
There’s scope not just to derive efficiency savings, but also to reinvent and reshape services around the needs of service users and the public more broadly, and to shift services onto a preventative, rather than a reactive, footing.
Accountability of all service providers – to local areas and individuals – could be transformed.
Local democracy could be coherently extended into service areas in which the views of communities haven’t so far been loudly heard. Done well, local government reorganisation can be the catalyst for this.
The digital revolution and artificial intelligence can make a reality of the integration dream. Meaningful devolution can bring about the bottom-up transformation of England.
I firmly believe that the answers to our problems, including too few homes and the absence of economic growth in our communities, lie close to home.
As councils, we cannot overcome pressures and seize opportunities in isolation. Despite the dedication and expertise of our teams, as individual councils we can only influence so much. It’s through discussing our problems, sharing insight and co-creating solutions that we can withstand our pressures and flourish.
We need to operate within strong networks – such as the LCN and the LGA – for this to happen. Whether or not you’ve worked with us in the past, we’re keen to collaborate with you in the future.
Let’s work together to create a bright new future for everyone in our communities.
- To find out more about the work of the Local Councils Network, please visit localcouncilsnetwork.gov.uk