(For tools and LAA climate change adaptation advice in the SW, see below)

Local Area Agreements (LAAs) were established by the previous Government under its local performance framework. DCLG and Defra published in December 2007 a supporting note "Climate change and sustainability: The crucial role of the new local performance framework" to help local authorities make the most of the new local performance framework. It signposts to key guidance and other documents that have been published recently. Click here to download the document (pdf) from the DCLG website: climate change and sustainability (external site).

• Note 1: For information from DCLG on the local performance framework, click here: performance framework (external site).

• Note 2: For guidance from DCLG on LAAs, click on this link for the appropriate web page on the DCLG website: DCLG - LAAs. See also below for LAA advice from Climate SouthWest.

• Note 3: To see the local priorities of LAAs in England (sorted by region) click here: Local Priorities Website - DCLG (external site).

• Note 4: For link to the Places Analysis Tool to assist in the analysis of Local Authorities with respect to the Local Area Agreement (LAA) Performance Monitoring Framework, click here: Places Analysis Tool (PAT).

• Note 5: For link to the One Place website for an independent overview of local public services in England, click here: http://oneplace.direct.gov.uk. Data is provided by the Audit Commission and other regulatory bodies.

On 16 November 2007 Defra produced guidance to Government Offices on its high-level expectations from the next generation of LAAs. The climate change expectations were described as follows:-

   Climate Change Mitigation:- Defra expects every LAA to include an improvement target on climate change mitigation – certainly wherever a Local Authority or LSP is serious about demonstrating environmental leadership and is capable of doing so. Those councils/ LSPs which wish to be seen as leaders on climate change action will wish to include a stretch target on the climate change mitigation community indicator. The climate change mitigation corporate indicator is also acceptable where the council/ LSP is starting from a lower base.
   Climate Change Adaptation:- Under the new local government performance framework, LAs will need to produce a climate change adaptation plan that assesses the risks climate change poses to the local area and sets out the actions to deal with these risks. We expect LAs and LSPs to demonstrate that they have factored climate change adaptation - risks and opportunities – into their LAAs. LAs and their LSPs that wish to demonstrate clear leadership in this area will want to consider including appropriate local indicators in their LAA or move more quickly in putting their adaptation plans in place.

The key means by which climate change adaptation should be integrated into LAAs, as advised by Defra (guidance to Government Offices 16.11.07), are as follows:-

• Under the new local government performance framework, local authorities will need to produce a climate change adaptation plan that assesses the risks climate change poses to the local area and sets out the actions to deal with these risks.

• Local authorities and local strategic partnerships should demonstrate that they have factored climate change adaptation - risks and opportunities – into their LAAs.

• Local authorities and their local strategic partnerships that wish to demonstrate clear leadership in this area will have either included appropriate local indicators in their LAA and/or started to take action in putting their adaptation plans in place.

Click here to download the specific guidance note issued in April 2008 from Defra on NI 188 "Planning to Adapt to Climate Change" :- Defra NI 188 guidance, April, 2008 (word doc).

NI 188 and the adaptation reporting power under the Climate Change Act 2008
The following extract from Defra's '2009 Strategy for exercising the Adaptation Reporting Power and list of priority reporting authorities' (presented to Parliament pursuant to section 65 of the Climate Change Act 2008) explains the relationship between Local Authorities, NI 188 and the reporting power under the Act:-

Local authorities
5.5
Local authorities, because of their wide range of responsibilities, are key organisations in reducing the risks of climate change. In recognition of this, the Government has included a new adaptation performance indicator (National Indicator 188) in the new local performance framework. NI188 measures the progress a local authority has made in assessing the risks and opportunities of climate change, and developing programmes of measures to address those risks. Under the local performance framework, each local authority is required to report their progress against NI188. This and other local outcomes delivered by local authorities by themselves or in partnership will be assessed and reported to local people through the new Comprehensive Area Assessment public service inspectorates jointly. Therefore the expectations under NI188 are closely aligned with what reporting authorities will be expected to deliver under the Reporting Power.
5.6
The existence of NI188 does not mean that local authorities are indefinitely exempt from reporting to the Secretary of State, but it does mean that there will be sufficient scrutiny of authorities through the self-assessment process and NI188 so that we will not ask authorities to report under the first round of the adaptation reporting power. 2009-2011 will be a period during which we evaluate the benefits brought through NI188.

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SW NI 188 Notice Board

Local Authority Case Studies now online
UKCIP has produced a searchable database of case studies primarily relating to LAs, which are categorised into two main areas (i) Building Adaptive Capacity and (ii) Delivering Adaptation Action. For more information go to: http://www.ukcip.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=700&Itemid=320.

UKCIP Webinars
Between now and December 2010, UKCIP is offering a free programme of webinars on adaptation topics ranging from advice on using adaptation tools such as the Wizard to looking at how to keep adaptation plans relevant to your work. Go to http://www.ukcip.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=395&Itemid=320 for more information.

More information about the work of Defra's cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme
For more adaptation information from Defra's Adapting to Climate Change Team including their newsletter visit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/news/index.htm.