The LGA's media office provides the national voice of local government in England and Wales on the major issues of the day for national, regional and local press.
“The announcement of the first new devolution deals in 20 months is encouraging and will benefit those living in the North of Tyne region and the West Midlands, but many more such deals are needed to reverse the growing sense of stalled progress and missed opportunities across much of the country.
“Councils want their residents to be able to enjoy ‘devolution delight’ rather than suffer ‘devolution deadlock’.
“The longer it takes to secure new devolution deals, the longer communities will have to wait to benefit from the opportunities currently available to areas where devolution has taken
"It is disappointing that this report, which has taken the Government 10 months to publish, confirms that there were no new devolution deals in 2016/17"
Millions of people living in rural England are at risk of being “left behind” and missing out on their fair share of future prosperity following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, council leaders warn today.
“We support the measures announced today to boost cities, towns and regions - this is good news for local communities and businesses seeking to improve their prospects."
“It is good that the Government has pledged to invest in providing full-fibre broadband in hard-to-reach areas. Councils have long-called for funding and support to bridge the digital connectivity gap so that rural communities are not left behind."
“Councils have proven that they are already leaders of place. This guidance will help councils to attract investment in the right infrastructure to help their communities meet their full potential.”
"Councils have played a crucial role during the current crisis and have demonstrated the strength that comes from local leaders able to work with others and their communities."
Commenting on the Government’s new Levelling Up Fund announced in today’s Spending Review, Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chair of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board said:
"On the back of this report, councils and parliamentarians should now unite to ensure the Government’s upcoming Devolution and Recovery White Paper brings forward at pace a new devolution settlement for England, led by councils and their local communities.”