Issue - meetings

This report asks the Executive to consider the refreshed Local Area Agreement and to recommend it to Full Council for approval prior to its endorsement by Without Walls and submission to central government.

RECOMMENDED:That Council approve the refreshed Local Area Agreement presented at Annex A to the report, for endorsement by Without Walls on 11 February 2010 prior to submission to central government.

REASON:                  In order to meet the statutory requirement to refresh the LAA and meet central government guidelines.

Members considered a report which presented a refreshed version of the Council’s Local Area Agreement (LAA) for the period 2009/10.  The refreshed LAA was attached as Annex A to the report. 

The 2009/10 LAA refresh process applied only to the following designated indicators:

• NI 116 – Proportion of children in poverty
• NI 152 – Working age people on out of work benefits
• NI 155 – Number of affordable homes delivered (gross)
• NI 166 – Average earnings of employees in the area
• NI 171 – VAT registration rates.

The report set out the latest position on each of the above indicators, following discussions and negotiations with Government Office for Yorkshire & the Humber (GOYH).  Officers reported at the meeting that GOYH’s negotiating position on indicator NI 116 was currently unclear.  All Council Members would be informed of any change to this position before the Full Council meeting on 4 February.

Although the formal refresh process did not apply to York’s local LAA indicators, the following local indicators had also been updated where required for the final year of the LAA:

• NI 54 – Services for disabled children
• NI 57 – Children’s participation in sport
• LI 5 – Adult participation in physical activity.

RECOMMENDED:That Council approve the refreshed Local Area Agreement presented at Annex A to the report, for endorsement by Without Walls on 11 February 2010 prior to submission to central government.¹

REASON:                  In order to meet the statutory requirement to refresh the LAA and meet central government guidelines.