Local government is facing a growing number of pressures in Wales, with demand for services such as social care increasing while other services face cuts due to difficult financial settlements.
Download the paper and CLICK HERE or scan the QR code to provide feedback on the Group's positions:
It has long been recognised that the current model of local government may need to be changed or adapted in response to the current challenges; and in Wales the Williams Review recommended changes in practice which could support local government to face current and future challenges. The worsening fiscal context and demographic scenarios since that review make the need for change more pressing.
The Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP), supported by the WLGA, has convened an independent working group on sustainable local government for the future, made up of serving local authority leaders and chief executives in Wales alongside independent expertise, chaired by former WCPP director Professor Steve Martin.
The group is considering the challenges faced by local authorities and will develop a vision for the future of local government in Wales, supported by a set of proposals to achieve this vision which could be implemented following the Senedd election in 2026.
WCPP will support the group by providing independent evidence which speaks to the areas the group will be covering: the purpose and function of local government; accountability and performance measurement; organisational leadership and culture; financing of local government; regional structures and the relationship between local government and the Welsh Government; and proposals for reform, including the transformation agenda.
The group’s work is intended to be substantially complete by the end of 2025 with final recommendations and the overall vision to be published prior to May 2026.
Download the Group's position paper, published ahead of the WLGA National Conference, with feedback encouraged via a short survey.