To approve the Refreshed Local Area Agreement for submission to the Secretary of State for approval.

THAT approval of the Refreshed Local Area Agreement be delegated to the Chief Executive.

1.                  The Refresh of the Local Area Agreement brings up to date any baselines and targets which were not available at the time of the original agreement, thus ensuring that the latest submission has the most recent and relevant information.

2.                  It gives an opportunity to revise targets which have been adversely affected by the current economic downturn, negotiating fresh targets where appropriate.

3.                  It gives officers another opportunity to consider existing targets in line with the recently published Reward Grant Guidance and amend/adjust them where appropriate

Councils, as lead body for their respective Local Strategic Partnerships, are required to enter into Local Area Agreement. Alternative local indicators could be selected, but those incorporated within the agreement have been identified through a process of negotiation.