Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, told the Local Government Association’s Chairman’s Summit today that he welcomed the LG Group’s offer to government.
The offer was launched at the LG Group conference earlier this month, and comprises three themes:
Mr Pickles told attendees that he looked forward to working with them further on ‘place-based budgets’ – as long as they’re renamed ‘community budgets’. He said, “I’m not the only one who loves the idea of community budgets, by the way. The Prime Minister loves them. The DPM loves them. The Chancellor loves them. There’s huge interest right across Whitehall.”
On the subject of Total Place, Mr Pickles said that had been “a step in the right direction”, but that councils would now have the opportunity to be more radical and innovative. He urged councils to “just get on and do it” over the summer, and that he would “shout from the rooftops” the best ideas.
Total Place pilots, among others, are working with Local Government Leadership (formerly the Leadership Centre for Local Government) and the LG Group to explore specific proposals around community budgets with HM Treasury and other departments. Together they will work rapidly over the summer to determine the scale of financial impact that such profound change would make and to evidence why the changes are required to deliver these benefits.
Read the full text of Mr Pickles’ speech.
Category: event
