Local development frameworks, community strategies and area agreements - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 323

Area governance
Local Strategic
Partnership and
Thematic Partnerships

Improvement Support
National Improvement
and Efficiency Strategy

Commissioning
cycle

Improve

Assess
needs

Vision for
the Area
Sustainable
Community
Strategy

Monitoring and
review
Comprehensive
Area Assessment

Duty to
inform,
consult, involve

Review

Priorities/
options

Secure
outcomes and
Best Value

Public Reporting
National PIs/LAA

Delivery Plan
Local Area Agreement

Figure 19.3 The New Local Government Performance Framework (source: DCLG 2007a)

relation to development planning or transport proposals). However authorities do
need to consider whether any additional actions are required beyond these specific
requirements.
Local Area Agreements (LAAs) are the short-term (three-year) delivery mechanism
for delivering improvements in line with the Community Strategy. In defining targets
for these improvements the Act lists a number of 'partner authorities' who must be
involved. These authorities are placed under a statutory duty to cooperate in the setting
of targets and to have regard to agreed targets in the course of their business. They
include District Councils, National Park Authorities, the Highways Agency, Passenger
Transport Authorities, Transport for London, Regional Development Agencies and
NHS Trusts.
These are of course all public sector bodies. It is important to note that commercial
bus and train companies may be members of LSPs (or more likely a particular thematic
partnership) and that individual companies may agree partnership arrangements with
transport authorities. However no statutory requirements surround their participation.
They are also under no statutory duty to cooperate in the setting of LAA targets or to
have regard to them in their day-to-day operations.
An authority may select up to 35 targets framed in terms of the national indicator
set. (Transport-related indicators within this set are listed in Table 20.3 in the next
chapter.) These targets are negotiated with its partners and the Government (Regional)
Office. They are then included in its draft LAA which it has to submit to the Secretary
of State to be formally 'designated'. An authority may also identify a number of local
improvement targets. These non-designated targets will not be reported on to central
government but they will be taken account of as part of a regime of Comprehensive
Area Assessment led by the Audit Commission. Authorities are incentivised through