Re:Imagining the Local State - 'Transformed councils, revolutionised services'
English Local Government has been plunged into a dramatic era of change. Strategic Authorities are to be rolled out across every part of the country and structural reorganisation is mandated for every remaining ‘two-tier’ area. Reforms to the local finance model are being implemented and streamlined ‘integrated settlements’ are being given to a growing group of Combined Authorities.
In the midst of the most comprehensive programme of reform for decades, significant opportunities emerge – as do risks. The democratic deficit could be made worse by a new, larger-scale two-tier system – or addressed as that system becomes more transparent and more committed to neighbourhood working. The enormous promise of place-based public service reform could be baked-in to new structures as they are established – or be left as an afterthought.
The third annual Reimagining the Local State conference explored this era of change, and looked ahead to the longer-term challenges that the sector still faces.
This panel explored how councils can harness innovation to transform local government amid rapid structural change, rising demand, and shifting public service models — embedding new practices and partnerships to thrive in the years ahead. This panel was kindly supported by Beam.