The UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan marks a step change in the drive to make homes warmer, healthier and more affordable to run. Backed by £15 billion of investment and a commitment to upgrade 5 million homes by 2030, it sets an ambitious direction of travel for housing retrofit in England. Crucially, the Plan recognises that […]
The UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan, published last week, represents a significant moment in accelerating the action needed to make homes warmer, healthier and more affordable to run. Backed by £15 billion of investment, the Plan aims to improve and upgrade 5 million homes by 2030. Crucially, it is explicit that success will depend on local leadership, with local authorities, combined authorities and mayors playing a […]
Last week’s Budget was not just a fiscal statement, but a roadmap for development, resilience and renewal. The announcements reinforce the principles we at Local Partnerships champion: clarity of purpose, empowered local leadership and frameworks that enable long-term delivery. One of the most significant developments is the confirmation of multi-year capital allocations through 2029-30. This certainty is a […]
Research released today finds devolution alone does not guarantee success for local areas, and councils need clarity, coherence and a long-term plan from Government to deliver devolution at scale. The report, from the LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) and Local Partnerships, concludes that a model of governance which improves regional economic outcomes, supports housing growth, tackles […]
New research finds devolution alone does not guarantee success for local areas. Councils need clarity, coherence and a long-term plan from Government to deliver devolution at scale.The report, from the LGIU (Local Government Information Unit), supported by Local Partnerships, concludes that a model of governance which improves regional economic outcomes, supports housing growth, tackles inequality, embeds fiscal sustainability and […]
New research – LOOKING TO 2050: The future of local government – finds devolution alone does not guarantee success for local areas.
Councils need clarity, coherence and a long-term plan from Government to deliver devolution at scale.
The report, from the LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) and Local Partnerships, concludes that a model of governance which improves regional economic outcomes, supports housing growth, tackles inequality, embeds fiscal sustainability and strengthens climate resilience can be built – but will require a purposeful design of roles, responsibilities and long-term direction.
As local authorities grapple with implementing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the challenge is no longer about whether reform is necessary, but how to make it work in practice. At Local Partnerships, we believe devolution and LGR should be viewed not as a disruption to be managed, but as an opportunity to strengthen local power. That’s […]
Local authorities had been asked whether they had included climate as a corporate risk and whether their services and assets were prepared for extreme weather becoming the new normal. The reality of climate change was no longer distant; it had already arrived.
Adele Gritten says clarifying roles in England’s evolving governance landscape is crucial to avoiding replication and unlocking strategic potential. As England embarks on its most ambitious phase of local government reorganisation (LGR) and devolution in decades, the potential for duplication between nascent, emerging Strategic Authorities and existing Unitary councils is becoming increasingly apparent. The English […]
Councils will get new support to manage the challenges of devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) through new partnership research by Local Partnerships and the LGIU (Local Government Information Unit). The new strategic partnership will launch with an inaugural research project launched in November, exploring how current working relationships between local and combined authorities could […]
Transforming Your Council to Identify Climate Risk and Embed Climate Resilience
Many councils had committed to net zero, but embedding climate resilience into whole-organisation transformation remained a major challenge. This session explored how local authorities successfully integrated climate risk into their strategic planning and addressed the significant impacts on future service delivery.
Emma Bull, Assistant Director – Climate at Local Partnerships, and Emily Bolton, Climate Crisis Strategy Manager at Cambridgeshire County Council, shared their experience implementing Local Partnerships’ Climate Adaptation Toolkit. They reflected on the key steps taken, challenges encountered, and best practices that emerged while embedding climate resilience across council operations.
The session focused on essential considerations for whole-council transformation to ensure services were future-ready. Attendees gained practical insights and takeaways that supported their own work, with the following key questions addressed:
How did they begin to consider climate within large-scale transformation projects?
What collaborations proved crucial to their success?
What were the impacts for the council and local communities?
How were colleagues engaged throughout the process?
Watch the replay to learn how climate resilience was embedded in practice.
As local government reform and the devolution agenda gather pace, CSW speaks to Local Partnerships CEO about helping central government departments bridge policy ambitions and frontline delivery For those unfamiliar, what is Local Partnerships, and what makes it different from other consultancies? Adele Gritten: We are an organisation made up of senior individuals who’ve worked […]
We are proud to share our Impact Report 2024-25 – a reflection of another remarkable year at Local Partnerships. This report captures the breadth and depth of our work, and the tangible difference we’ve made across England and Wales.
As a publicly owned, in-house delivery partner, our role has never been more vital. Against a backdrop of financial constraint, climate urgency, and systemic reform, we’ve continued to bring clarity, capability, and confidence to the public sector. Our teams have delivered measurable impact – whether by supporting climate resilience, helping councils transform, unlocking infrastructure opportunities, or enabling local leaders to improve lives in their communities.
This year’s report illustrates how deeply embedded we are in the real-world challenges our partners face – and how we consistently help them rise to meet them. It also celebrates the growing strength of our partnerships across central government, the LGA, the devolved administrations, and local authorities.
We invite you to explore how we’ve made a difference – and how we’re helping shape a better future, together.
A new report published by the LGA and developed by Local Partnerships sets out advice on how to build collaboration between the UK Government and councils to deliver on the shared ambition for responding to climate change. The report was created in consultation with chief executives and senior officers from 30 local and combined authorities, with further […]
The Transformation and Innovation Exchange (TIEx) self-assessment tool provides a structured approach for councils to assess their performance against the critical success factors and key transformation characteristics of a high-performing local authority. Through a set of focused statements, TIEx enables teams to reflect on their current capabilities, identify areas for development, and highlight where additional support may be needed.
This toolkit is designed to help councils confidently deliver their own Transformation Challenge Review, a two-workshop process guided by the TIEx framework.
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