Local Government Association

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Local Government Association is a body for advancing the interests of local authorities in the England and Wales. Its member are various different types of local authorities, including county councils, metropolitan borough councils, London borough councils, shire district councils and unitary authorities. The Welsh members are part of the affiliated Welsh Local Government Association. The equivalent organisation in Scotland is the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, and for Northern Ireland the Northern Ireland Local Government Association.

The Chief Executive is Paul Coen, formerly Chief Executive of Essex County Council, replacing Sir Brian Briscoe who had been Chief Executive of the LGA since its formation. Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, former leader of Kent County Council, is chair of the LGA, replacing Sir Jeremy Beecham of Newcastle City Council who had been Labour chair for several years and remains vice chair.

It does not cover parish and community councils, which join the National Association of Local Councils. There is also an Association of London Government and other regional bodies.

The LGA was formed on April 1, 1997, in the middle of the 1990s UK local government reform which created unitary authorities. The association is the direct successor to several per-type associations, most recently the Association of County Councils, the Association of District Councils and the Association of Metropolitan Authorities. [1]

Other local authority associations include the Association of Municipal Corporations, County Boroughs Association, Rural District Councils Association and Urban District Councils Association. [2]