Swindon LAA Officially Launched

18 July 2005

The Swindon Local Area Agreement has been officially launched at the Strategic Partnerships Annual Conference.

Central and regional Government representatives made presentations to delegates from the voluntary, community and public sector.

It was the first opportunity for all the key partners and stakeholders, who will be involved in the Local Area Agreement, to get together and celebrate in this phase of the LAA roll out.  

Chief Executive of Swindon Borough Council, Sir Michael Pitt presented a possible vision for a Swindon LAA in a prospectus given to attendees.  He stressed that this was purely designed to get the discussion going, to encourage debate ahead of the more detailed and extensive partnership work due to commence very shortly.

All partners and stakeholders need to be included in the LAA development.  The timescale to deliver an Agreement is challenging and so delegates need to give immediate feedback on the prospectus.

Working groups for the four blocks of the LAA will be established quickly to enable work to begin on identifying outcomes.  These groups will have broad representation.  It is particularly important that members from the voluntary and community sector sit on each of the groups.

The LAA is not about tearing everything apart and starting again, but rather using the work contained in documents like the Community Strategy.  

Sir Michael Pitt is convinced that LAAs are the future, “This is a golden opportunity for us all to join up and deliver real benefits to people.  This is not just about the Council, or the PCT or any single organisation or group.  A Swindon Local Area Agreement will give us the chance to identify what matters for Swindon and make a real difference to everyday lives".

The next seven months are going to be challenging, a little chaotic and very exciting as we use the LAA as a vehicle to work effectively together”.

Read the prospectus and let us know what you think by emailing gcalthrop@swindon.gov.uk.

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