East Midlands Local Government Association

East Midlands Local Government Association
Name	East Midlands Local Government Association
Formation	1990s
Type	Local authority association
Headquarters	Nottingham
Region served	Derbyshire; Leicestershire; Lincolnshire; Northamptonshire; Nottinghamshire; Rutland
Membership	County councils; District councils; Unitary authorities; Parish councils

East Midlands Local Government Association is a regional membership organisation representing local authorities across the East Midlands, coordinating policy, advocacy and collaboration among councils in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. It acts as a regional grouping of elected councils, liaising with national bodies such as the Local Government Association, central departments including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and devolved institutions like the Greater London Authority while interacting with transport and planning organisations across the Midlands Engine. The association convenes chief executives, leaders and councillors to address statutory services, strategic planning and regional development in conjunction with bodies involved in housing, health and infrastructure.

History

The organisation traces its origins to county and district collaboration in the late 20th century, when post-Local Government Act 1972 reorganisation and subsequent reforms associated with the Local Government Act 1992 encouraged regional groupings similar to the Local Government Association (England and Wales), the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers and the Association of County Councils. It developed through links forged with the East Midlands Development Agency and initiatives under the New Labour era, later adapting to the policy environment shaped by the Coalition government of 2010–2015 and the Brexit negotiations that affected regional funding streams like the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund. Major regional events, including responses to the 2008 financial crisis in the United Kingdom and the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted closer ties with the Public Health England apparatus and the National Health Service regional offices.

Organisation and Governance

Governance is structured around a board or executive comprising council leaders, chief executives and portfolio holders, modelled on governance practices used by the Local Government Association and akin to arrangements in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the West Midlands Combined Authority. The association’s constitution, annual general meetings and scrutiny arrangements echo procedures seen in the Local Government Ombudsman oversight and the statutory frameworks associated with the Localism Act 2011. Senior officers coordinate policy delivery with committees reflecting portfolios such as planning, transport and social care, mirroring committee systems in authorities like Nottinghamshire County Council, Leicestershire County Council and unitary councils including Northamptonshire County Council (historical configurations) and Rutland County Council.

Functions and Activities

The association undertakes advocacy and lobbying on allocations from the HM Treasury spending reviews and negotiates positions on issues connected to the National Planning Policy Framework and regional transport strategies influenced by the Department for Transport. It provides capacity building and training comparable to programmes run by the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government and offers policy briefings on subjects intersecting with the NHS England agenda, skills provision via links to the Education and Skills Funding Agency, and homelessness policy adjacent to the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. The association also convenes multi-agency boards addressing flood risk alongside the Environment Agency, coordinates housing delivery with registered providers like Homes England and facilitates joint procurement practices similar to frameworks used by the Crown Commercial Service.

Member Councils and Membership

Membership comprises county councils such as Derbyshire County Council, Leicestershire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Northamptonshire County Council, together with district councils including Charnwood Borough Council, South Kesteven District Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council and unitary authorities and smaller authorities such as Rutland County Council. Parish and town councils within the region, civic leaders, chief executives and council chief financial officers engage through the association much as counterparts do within the Association of Parish and Town Councils and regional forums that echo the membership models of bodies like the Society of County Treasurers.

Partnerships and Regional Influence

The association partners with economic development entities including the Midlands Engine, transport bodies like East Midlands Railway and strategic health partners including NHS Midlands. It works alongside Local Enterprise Partnerships such as D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and Lincolnshire Enterprise Partnership and engages with universities and research institutions including University of Nottingham, Loughborough University and University of Lincoln on housing, skills and innovation projects. The association’s influence extends to negotiations over regional devolution deals modelled after the Greater Manchester devolution deal and policy discussions involving the Cabinet Office and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Funding and Resources

Funding is derived from membership subscriptions, project grants and contributions tied to programmes funded through national allocations such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and historically from European Regional Development Fund allocations, along with income from consultancy, training and commissioned services similar to revenue streams used by the Local Government Association. Budget oversight and financial compliance follow public sector accounting standards aligned with guidance from the National Audit Office and interact with audit arrangements referenced in the Public Accounts Committee and scrutiny practices at county and district councils.

Category:Organisations based in Nottingham Category:Local government in the East Midlands