Briefings and responses

Councils are committed to ensuring new homes are built and communities have quality places to live. It is vital that these are delivered through a locally-led planning system with public participation

The LGA welcomes the opportunity to continue to contribute to the consultations on resources and waste reforms, first set out in the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy.

Local leaders have shown throughout the pandemic that they are well placed to deliver the best outcomes for local communities. They are also best placed to align the work of government departments and agencies with the assets and opportunities of different places.

Over the past year, councils have conducted all of their council business virtually due to pandemic. Councils have reported that virtual meetings have allowed for critical decision to be made democratically and without delay during this period of emergency.

As furlough ends, no community will be untouched by unemployment. It is vitally important that a joined up, place-based employment, skills and careers system offers adults and young people the recovery they deserve by providing access to quality education and training opportunities.

It will be important that this funding is kept under review to ensure it is enough to meet demand and that guidance is published as soon as possible so that councils can set up schemes and ensure the new funding reaches businesses. Any new burdens due to administrative or IT costs should also covered by the Government.

It is vital that vulnerable children, who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, are the focus of this programme of work.

The LGA welcomes the opportunity to continue to contribute to the consultations on resources and waste reforms, first set out in the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy. Here we set out an overview of the LGA’s response to the package of reforms. We have also answered the individual questions in each of the consultations.

The LGA welcomes and supports the government’s ambition set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan for this to be the first generation that leaves the environment in a better state than that in which we inherited it. We also welcome and support the ambition to create a new, world-leading, statutory and independent environmental watchdog to hold government to account on our environmental ambitions and obligations.

We welcome the reintroduction of the Environment Bill. A legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic must be that we, as a nation, grasp the opportunity to protect and enhance our natural environment, and tackle the climate emergency.