Local Area Agreements
Defra Support Pack for Round 3 (and refreshes of Rounds 1 and 2)
Contents Page
Introduction 2
LAA blocks 3
Mandatory Defra outcomes 4
Other Defra outcomes from full framework 6
“Oven-ready ideas”: suggested additional outcomes 17
Additional information 30
· Sustainable Communities
· Climate change
· Fuel poverty
· Air quality
· Local environmental quality
· Environmental management systems
· Biomass heat and renewable materials
· Public sector food procurement
· Biodiversity
Defra
1 August 2006
Introduction
David Miliband (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has set out his belief that as a nation we are living beyond our environmental means. He said in his speech to the Local Government Association on 4 July 2006 that “if we are to meet environmental challenges, it will require the energy and innovation of local communities and citizens”.
This document aims to support local areas and Government Offices in making each LAA a vehicle for harnessing that energy. It sets out all the Defra outcomes in DCLG’s overarching framework and suggests potential additional outcomes in the form of ‘oven-ready ideas’, backing these up with extra information where it was thought to be helpful.
We have separated the suggested outcomes into LAA blocks for clarity, but – other than for mandatory outcomes – this should not be taken as a set approach. Defra outcomes are frequently cross-cutting, which means that they may be combined with other outcomes in a variety of ways.
Readers should also take into account valuable information on building in sustainable development to LAAs which can be found at:
www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/advice/local/localleadership.htm#Delivering
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The LAA Blocks
Children and Young People
/Safer and Stronger Communities
/Healthy Communities and Older People
/Economic Development
· Stay safe· Be healthy
· Enjoy and achieve
· Achieve economic wellbeing
· Make a positive contribution
· Narrow the gap (for areas in receipt of NRF) / · Reduce crime
· Reassure the public and reduce the fear of crime
· Reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs
· Build respect in communities and reduce anti-social behaviour
· Empower local people to have a greater choice and influence over local decision making and a greater role in public service delivery
· Cleaner, greener and safer public spaces
· Reduce waste to landfill and increase recycling
· Tackle climate change
· Increased access to the countryside
· Improve quality of life in deprived areas, and liveability
· Improve the quality of public space and the quality of the local environment
· Narrow the gap (for areas in receipt of NRF) / · Improved health and reduced health inequalities
· Improved quality of life
· Making a positive contribution
· Choice and control
· Freedom from discrimination
· Economic wellbeing
· Personal dignity
· Reduce injuries and improve health at work
· Narrow the gap (for areas in receipt of NRF) / · Increased employment
· Increasing enterprise
· Increasing competition
· Increasing investment
· Increasing skills
· Increasing housing
· Increasing innovation
· Sustainable production and consumption
· Narrow the gap (for areas in receipt of NRF)
The LAA Outcomes Framework showing only Defra Outcomes (Extracted from the DCLG guidance “Local Area Agreements: Guidance for Round 3 and Refresh of Rounds 1 and 2” (31 March 2006)
Mandatory outcomes
Outcomes / Thematic links / Example activities / Potential indicators / Related funding streamsBlock: Safer and Stronger Communities
Empower local people to have a
greater choice and influence
over local decision making and
a greater role in public service
delivery. / o Percentage of residents who feel they can influence decisionsaffecting their local area
Improve the quality of the local
environment by reducing the gap in
aspects of liveability between the
worst wards/neighbourhoods and
the district as a whole, with a
particular focus on reducing levels
of litter and detritus / o Reduction by 2008 in levels of litter and detritus using BV199 at district level / Neighbourhood
Renewal Fund§
Cleaner, greener and safer public
spaces. / o Environmental quality, as measured by BVPI 199 and 89 in combination, which measure perceptions of cleanliness.
o An increase in the percentage of abandoned vehicles removed within 24 hours from the point where the local authority is legally entitled to remove the vehicle (BVPI 218b). / SSCF cleaner,
safer, greener
element
Reduce waste to landfill and
increase recycling / o Reduction in the percentage of municipal waste landfilled
o Increase in the percentage of
municipal waste recycled / Waste
Performance
and Efficiency
Grant
The Other Outcomes from the Full Framework
Block: Children and Young People
Achieve Economic well-being
- cleaner, greener and safer public spaces and quality of the built environment in deprived areas
- supporting 16-18 yr olds not in education, employment or training / • Supporting the improvement of local environmental quality through joint initiatives between schools and local businesses increases social cohesion, and environmental awareness
• Improved access to urban green spaces and the countryside contributes to well being and local environmental quality
• Promoting environmental voluntary work is a means of improving local environmental quality.
Supporting work experience opportunities for pupils in Natural England raises environmental awareness, and increases / • Joint projects with schools to improve local environmental quality
• Facilitating voluntary opportunities on nature reserves plus local green space/environmental schemes
• Providing opportunities for work experience for pupils in Natural England to increase awareness of environmental issues and potential careers in the sector / • Number of low income families infuel poverty
Stay Safe
Reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
Reduce road traffic accidents / • Promoting the use of sustainable transport modes, reduces impacts on climate change, and increases safety and well-being
• Promoting outdoor environmental education programmes reduces anti-social behaviour by providing a ‘diversionary’ activity, raises awareness and appreciation of environmental issues and of its value
• Promoting environmental voluntary work reduces anti-social behaviour and leads to improvements in local environmental quality and local biodiversity.
Improving the environmental quality of play areas in inner city estates provides safe places for children to play, where they can come into contact with common wildlife / • Projects to increase sustainable transport options
• Projects to improve social development and encourage environmental education – visits to nature reserves, urban green space projects
• Facilitating voluntary opportunities on nature reserves plus local green space/environmental schemes
• Projects to improve recreational opportunities/wellbeing of children
Be Healthy
Reduce childhood obesity by increasing physical, mental and emotional well
Use access to education, youth services, educational achievement and opportunities / • Improved access to urban green spaces and the countryside contributes to wellbeing and environmental quality
• Promoting the use of green spaces and nature reserves to schools and youth clubs enables young people to understand the value of the environment and its links to wellbeing
• Promoting healthy eating in schools using local produce reduces food miles (and therefore reduces impacts on climate change) / • Projects to develop well-being strategies for schools to understand the value of the environment to health and safety issues
• Local environmental projects that incorporate AGNSt and PPG17 criteria
• Community projects similar to Wildspace/Doorstep Greens
• Projects to promote healthy eating using locally sourced produce via farmers and green markets
Enjoy and Achieve
- encourage personal and social development; recreation
- learn about the environment and sustainable development
- access to education, youth services, educational achievement and opportunities / • Promoting within the school curriculum and via youth projects the ‘greener’ aspect of ‘cleaner, greener and safer’ would raise the awareness of environmental protection and enhancement
• Promoting the value of environmental education would improve understanding of the environment and artistic interpretation / • School/youth club visits to nature reserves/urban green space/countryside/city farms + practical conservation projects to improve environmental quality
• Environmental award scheme for schools/youth clubs improving local environmental quality
• Incorporating environmental issues into the school curriculum via visits but also appreciation via nature in magazines, books, TV.
Make a positive contribution
- support local communities and the environment
- encourage voluntary and community engagement
- reduce levels of offending
- reduce anti-social behaviour + bullying
- develop self confidence
- involvement in local culture and sport
-youth participation in sustainable development activities / • Promoting environmental voluntary work improves local environmental quality whilst building community spirit.
• Supporting the teaching of traditional skills in rural areas (thatching; dry-stone walling etc) creates employment opportunities, maintains traditional skills and raises environmental awareness / • Facilitating voluntary opportunities on nature reserves plus local green space/environmental schemes
Further education courses/Princes Trust support for traditional rural skills
Block: Safer and Stronger Communities
Reduce the fear and incident of crime and anti-social behaviour / • Providing opportunities for voluntary conservation work for community service and rehabilitation of offenders increases social cohesion, and benefits the local environment / • Voluntary opportunities on nature reserves plus local green space/environmental schemes
Reduce cost of conducting everyday living e.g. reduced environmental cost of sourcing local food / • Promoting the marketing and purchasing of locally produced food reduces food miles and therefore impacts on climate change / • Projects to promote local farmers markets, especially ‘green markets’ (organic produce, etc)
Empower local people to have a greater choice and influence over local decision making and a greater role in public service delivery / • Promoting ways to allow local people to have influence over decision-making processes (e.g. Community Strategies) including on environmental issues, increases cohesion and increases environmental awareness / • Projects to for local influence over decision-making processes which affect the environment / • Strengthen the engagement of rural residents through governance roles and by
identifying local needs and actions to tackle them
• Increase in the number of town and parish councils attaining Quality Status
Cleaner, greener and
safer public spaces
Support ‘cleaner, greener, and safer’ public spaces to improve quality of life for all.
Improve quality of life for people in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods / • Improving access to urban green space, rights of way, NNRs/LNRs/designated sites and the wider countryside enables community education on local environmental quality/biodiversity and well being issues
• Encouraging guided visits to nature reserves and local green space increasing the awareness of the benefits of outdoor recreation to socially excluded groups and encourages exercise, with health benefits
• Providing opportunities for voluntary conservation work fosters community spirit and ‘ownership’ of local green space amongst local communities
• Promoting the use of sustainable construction and biodiversity by design in new housing can increase energy efficiency (reduced heating & cooling costs) and reduce impacts on climate change, whilst enhancing local biodiversity / • Initiatives providing access to local green space that will foster the “sense of ownership” and “investment in communities” e.g. similar to Wildspace/Doorstep Greens
• Projects to improve access to the countryside
• Promoting the production of green space management strategies
• Guided visits to nature reserves/urban green space/countryside/city farms + practical conservation projects to improve environmental quality
• Voluntary opportunities on nature reserves plus local green space/environmental schemes
• Projects to promote the benefits of sustainable construction and biodiversity by design / Mandatory where SSCF cleaner, safer, greener element is received.
• Environmental quality, as measured by BVPI 199 and 89 in combination, whichmeasure perceptions of cleanliness.
• An increase in the percentage of abandoned vehicles removed within 24 hoursfrom the point where the local authority is legally entitled to remove the vehicle (BVPI 218b).
• A reduction in the number of incidents of fly-tipping using data as recorded on the Flycapture database
• Reducing levels of noise nuisance in residential neighbourhoods.
• Improvements in Air Quality – local concentrations of specific air pollutants: (where
local authorities have declared air quality management areas (AQMAs) in respect of
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and in some cases PM10, mainly due to road transport.)
Tackling climate change through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to impacts / • Carry out a strategic flood risk assessment for local area / • Improving the energy efficiency/carbon performance of operational property
and/or community organisations (VCS and private sector) and/or housing stock
• Proportion of renewable electricity generated /electricity generation from renewable and non-renewable sources
• Emissions of carbon or carbon dioxide
Increased access to and enjoyment of green spaces and the countryside / • Promoting the use of sustainable transport modes and facilitating the use of ICT in rural areas reduces impacts on climate change
• Supporting increased provision for affordable housing provision in urban and rural communities allows people to live and work in rural areas, reducing transport (and thereby climate change) impacts, and increasing viability of communities / • Projects to provide access to ICT in rural areas and sustainable transport modes
• Projects to promote need for better quality and increased quantity of affordable housing / • To improve river water quality
• Protect and enhance biodiversity – to conserve and enhance wildlife and the rural landscape and promote access and understanding by all
• Rights of way – access to the countryside: to increase visitor access to the countryside.
Reduce waste to
landfill and increase
recycling / Mandatory where Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant is received
• Reduction in the percentage of municipal waste landfilled
• Increase in the percentage of municipal waste recycled
Improve the quality of the local environment by reducing the gap in aspects of liveability between the worst wards/neighbourhoo ds and the district as a whole, with a particular focus on reducing levels of litter and detritus / Mandatory where NRF is received
• Reduction by 2008 in levels of litter and detritus using BVP 199 at district level.
Other Possible Indicators
• Increase satisfaction with cleanliness of streets measured by BV89
• Protect and enhance biodiversity – to conserve and enhance wildlife and the rural landscape and promote access and understanding by all