REPORT: From Transaction to Transformation

We have published a new guide for councils going through the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process – the focus is on the practicalities of implementation and also the need to ensure the transformation opportunity is seized.

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There is a big risk that the burden of the transaction and the need to achieve a “safe and

legal” outcome crowds out all other thinking.

The Government’s latest guidance on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) sets out a

challenging set of requirements for two-tier council areas in England. At its heart is the need to deliver high-quality and sustainable services and strengthening community engagement and neighbourhood empowerment, all underpinned by meaningful public service reform ambition.​

The path to realising this does not lie in structural rationalisation alone. It must be a moment to reimagine local leadership, rebuild trust between citizens and the state and transform public services so they are truly people-centred, integrated and relational.​

Trust in government at all levels is at an all-time low. There is a real risk that LGR creates even more distance between councils and communities. LGR can either widen the gap or be a bold opportunity to do things differently. ​

LGR is a practical process and much of this guide is focused on the lessons we have gathered from a wide range of conversations with those who have been through it before. ​

But we have structured the “Foundations” in a way to ensure you keep focused on the transformational potential of LGR and don’t become captured by the burden of the transactional process and the overwhelming need to remain “safe and legal”. ​

Our “Foundations” are grounded in Mutual Ventures’ Radical Place Leadership approach, which we have been developing with the sector over the past two years.

Please get in touch if you want to know more – andrew@mutualventures.co.uk

Download the report