Local Government Association

The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities. Its core membership is made up of 339 English councils and the 22 Welsh councils through the Welsh Local Government Association.  

Local Government Association building, Smith Square, Westminster

The LGA is politically led  and cross-party. As the national voice of local government, it works on behalf of councils to give local government a strong, credible voice with national  government, to promote the positive reputation of the sector and to secure funding and powers on behalf of councils and the communities they serve. Through its programme of practical peer-based support it helps councils continuously to improve and innovate and it co-ordinates collective legal actions on behalf of the sector.

The LGA also provides membership services to other organisations through an associate scheme, including fire and rescue  authorities, national parks authorities, town councils, police & crime commissioners and elected mayors of combined authorities.

The Chairman of the LGA is Counsellor James Jamieson and the Chief Executive is Mark Lloyd.

History

On 1 April 1997, the Association of County Councils, the Association of District Councils and the Association of Metropolitan Authorities came together to form a single membership body for local government in England – the Local Government Association (LGA). 

In 2010, the LGA merged with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), Local Government Employers (LGE), Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) and the Leadership Centre for Local Government. The IDeA, whilst wholly owned by the LGA, continues to exist as a company and the recipient of central government grant for improvement activities. The Leadership Centre is now an independent body based in North London.

In April 2019, the former unincorporated LGA was replaced by the LGA unlimited company , enabling it to hold title to its two properties – its headquarters in Smith Square, Westminster and the former IDeA headquarters in Farringdon.

The LGA’s annual meeting – the General Assembly - takes place on the first Tuesday of July each year. The 2019 Assembly passed a motion declaring a climate emergency and calling on government to explore the domestic implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through funded partnership roles with local authority areas and encouraging councils to continue to link local priorities with the overall ambitions of the SDGs.

Chairs of the LGA

Board Directors
Role Counsellor Council
Chairman[1] James Jamieson Central Bedfordshire Council
Vice chairs Nick Forbes CBE Newcastle City Council
Deputy chairs John Fuller OBE South Norfolk District Council
Director Izzi Seccombe OBE Warwickshire County Council
Director Howard Sykes MBE Oldham Council
Director Marianne Overton MBE Lincolnshire County Council

North Kesteven District Council

Director David Simmonds CBE Hillingdon London Borough Council
Director Robert Alden Birmingham City Council
Director Michael Payne Gedling Borough Council
Director Anne Western CBE Derbyshire County Council
Director Peter Box CBE Wakefield Council
Director Anntoinette Bramble Hackney London Borough Council
Director Ruth Dombey OBE Sutton London Borough Council
Director Clive Woodbridge Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

Main priorities

The LGA's published business plan sets out the Association's main lobbying priorities for 2019-22. They are:

  • Funding for local government
  • Adult social care, health and wellbeing
  • Children, education and schools
  • Places to live and work
  • Strong local democracy
  • Sustainability and climate action

Associated companies

The LGA has a number of associated companies.

See also

References
  1. "Our meetings and Leadership | Local Government Association". www.local.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2020.

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