A Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement between Central Government, represented by the Government Office, and a local area, represented by the local authority and other key partners through the Local Strategic Partnership. The primary objective of a Local Area Agreement is to deliver genuinely sustainable communities through better outcomes for local people. Calderdale’s Local Area Agreement is essentially a contract between Government and Calderdale’s public services to deliver outcomes based on national and local priorities. The agreement is refreshed annually to allow for changes. The Local Strategic Partnership (Calderdale Forward) and local authority lead on the agreement.

Calderdale’s Local Area Agreement is based on, and helps to deliver, the themes and outcomes in the Futures Plan, Calderdale’s Community Strategy. 
A Local Area Agreement allows funding to be used flexibly between services in delivering outcomes that benefit the local community. Local Area Agreements can help tackle some of the key long-term challenges faced by local authorities, Local Strategic Partnerships and their communities, which need to be addressed if we are to improve the sustainability of communities. 

Three main areas for improvement in Calderdale have been identified: safeguarding Calderdale’s future, both in terms of the economy and the environment, fostering economic prosperity, and narrowing the gap between the deprived and better off parts of the district on issues such as health, housing, educational attainment and opportunities, and economic well-being.

Calderdale’s new LAA was approved by Ministers in June 2008. You can find out more about the New LAA here.

If you would like to know what other areas have included in their Local Area Agreement click here.

How will we know that the LAA is making a difference? - find out more