A three-year spending review is “long overdue” and something local government “desperately needs”, according to Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.
Mr Jenrick told the LGA’s annual conference he was “proud” to be local government’s voice at the Cabinet table, “ensuring you’ve had the resources and tools you needed to continue delivering for your communities”.
“I will continue to fight your corner through the spending review and beyond,” he promised.
In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Jenrick praised councils for their resilience during the pandemic and thanked them for their close and productive relationship with central government.
He also called on them to develop 10- to 20-year plans for their areas as part of the Government’s mission to build back better after the pandemic and “level up opportunity and prosperity across the country”.
Councils would be empowered to play their part through the Levelling Up White Paper, due out later this year, he said.
“We want to deliver a once-in-a-generation wave of investment in areas that have been historically underserved for too long,” said Mr Jenrick.
“Your work here is crucial. It is councils who put the bids together, making far-reaching decisions, and work with central government to craft projects.
“We want every local council to produce a 10- or 20-year plan for their town, their city or their communities and for government to work with you in a genuinely place-based way.”
The Secretary of State also touched on several priorities for councils, including adult social care, the Government’s planning reforms and council governance; hinted at plans to reform local enterprise partnerships; and said the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs will fund all new burdens arising from the Environment Bill, currently before Parliament.