Past conferences

LGA Independent Climate Change Conference, 18 March 2022

The conference was held as a hybrid event which covered a range of topics covering climate change. We had a great line-up of speakers, including:

• Baroness Brown of Cambridge
• Sophie Howes (Future Generation Commissioner, Wales)
• Paul Behrens (Assistant Professor, Leiden University)
• Emma Osmundsen (Managing Director, Exeter City Living)
• speakers from Climate Emergency UK, Climate Futures and One Planet.

View presentations from the day:

• LGA climate change conference - Freddie Cooper, Senior Consultant, Anthesis Group
• Independent Group event - Think Connected, act joined up - One planet
• Net Zero Navigator Tool
• Building Homes for the Future Now - 15 Years of Passivhaus
• Making local decisions global - Sophie Howe - Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
• Futures from the frontiers of climate science - Paul Behrens, Leiden University 
• Retrofit Challenge - De-carbonising social housing – a lever for system change  - Cllr Matthew Bird, Cabinet Member for Sustainability, Lewes District Council 
• Delivering a resilient net zero future: the role of local government - The work of the CPICC - Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Chair CPICC, Chair Climate Change Committee  Adaptation Committee
• Energy Efficiency Support - Local Partnerships presentation - Tony Lawson and Emma Bull

LGA Independent Group Conference, October 2021

Our annual conference was held as a hybrid for the first time this year and covered the key topics of service delivery, planning, violence against women and girls and climate change. We also had our annual awards ceremony where Cllr Phelim Mac Cafferty was awarded the Clarence Barret award for his outstanding leadership of Brighton and Hove, as well as his wider contribution across local government.

You can find the presentations from the day along with some useful links from our speakers below:

Please note that some PDFs shown below may not be fully accessible.

Doughnut Economics, an introduction: Cllr Patricia Patterson-Vanegas (PDF)

Doughnut Economics Application: Speech by Cllr Julian German

Local Partnership presentation (PDF)

Citation Presentation (PDF)

Links from Standing Together:

Our Work — Standing Together

In Search of Excellence — Standing Together

DAHA - Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (dahalliance.org.uk)

Accreditation for housing providers - DAHA - Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (dahalliance.org.uk)

Whole Housing Approach - DAHA - Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (dahalliance.org.uk)

LGA Group Conference and AGM 2020

This year we held our AGM and annual group conference virtually, with over 100 members joining us for our annual report presentation. We also heard from the LGA’s Chairman and Chief Executive, several of our council leaders and Professor Colin Copus.

Our 2019/20 Annual Report

LGA Independent Group Climate Conference - February 2020, London

The Independent Group held a conference to focus on the pressing demands of the Climate Emergency, called by over 60 per cent of our member authorities so far. Workshops focused on practical solutions while speakers from Friends of the Earth and the Committee on Climate Change outlined the science, opportunities and challenges of achieving zero-net carbon.

LGA Independent Group Annual Conference - 8 November 2019

Details from our 2019 conference are below:

• Conference programme
• Slides from the main plenary sessions
• Working with the Press workshop

LGA Independent Group Annual Conference - November 2018, London

LGA Annual Conference - July 2018, Birmingham

This year’s LGA Conference was the biggest yet. As always we held our AGM and very popular Group meetings on the Future of Farming, PR and Democracy and Lord Best spoke at our main plenary session on housing.

LGA Independent Group – Spring Conference 2018

The LGA Independent Group Spring Conference took place on Friday 16 March 2018 at the Lincoln Cathedral Centre, Minster Yard, Lincoln, LN2 1PX

Attendees heard from a wide variety of speakers on Homelessness, The Effect of Brexit on our Rural Economies, Centralisation of the NHS, A Woman in a Man’s World, The Voice of the Councillor and more. There waws free after-hours access to the From The Land - Henry Moore, Ewen Henderson & Other Artists exhibition at The Collection.

You can view the agenda

Independent Group at the LGA Annual Conference 2017, Birmingham

Attended every year by over 1,200 delegates, 130 speakers and 120 exhibitors, the LGA’s Annual Conference is the biggest event in the local government calendar.

Highlights of our Group political sessions and networking opportunities included:

• Political Plenary session with Leanne Wood AM, Leader of Plaid Cymru
• Annual Dinner with Martin Bell OBE as guest speaker
• Housing session discussing how to make best use of council land and assets, with Natalie Elphicke OBE, Chief Executive of the Housing and Finance Institute and Brian Reynolds, Director of One Public Estate as speakers and Lord Victor Adebowale CBE MA as Chair
• Two new motions passed by the group in regards to gender equality and the safety of our residents.
• Social Media Workshop on Twitter facilitated by the Leadership Consultant Seltzer Cole
• Session slides

Independent Group at LGA Annual Conference 2016

LGA Annual Conference 2016 was the first major local government event to take place after the UK's referendum on membership of the EU and came at a pivotal time for Local Government as we looked at the post Spending Review landscape and how the new devolution agenda is bedding in.