What is the Cumbria Agreement and how is it developed?

The Cumbria Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a 3-year plan that sets out key improvement targets for Cumbria. This is the county's second LAA, and is developed by Cumbria County Council and partners through the Cumbria Strategic Partnership. The CSP brings together public, private and third sector organisations county-wide. 

The development of our refreshed Community Strategy and Cumbria 'Story of Place' during 2007 and early 2008, provided an opportunity to review Cumbria's key priorities. These two documents, along with the county's first LAA, provided the foundations for the LAA 2008 - 2011. The Cumbria Local Area Agreement is one of the key strategic plans to deliver the outcomes expressed in the Cumbria Community Strategy. 

How do we know the Cumbria Agreement is being delivered effectively?

The Thematic Partnerships of the Cumbria Strategic Partnership (CSP) co-ordinate the plans for delivery, and monitor and manage thematic performance. The Joint Chairs Group (Thematic Partnership and Local Strategic Partnership Chairs) receives quarterly performance report. The Joint Chairs Group may refer issues of underperformance to the Cumbria Chief Executives' Group who may commission activity to address such issues.

How is the Cumbria Agreement delivered?

Delivery of the Cumbria Agreement is supported by the shared Governance Framework agreed by partners across the county in 2007. This is currently under review. 

Organisations in Cumbria sign up to lead and support delivery of individual targets in the LAA. The organizations signed up to deliver each target produce a shared delivery plan. The delivery plans are monitored and managed by the Thematic Partnerships of the CSP.

Five thematic partnerships exist, as follows:

·        CumbriaVision

·        Healthy Communities & Older People

·        Children and Young People

·        Environment

·        Safer and Stronger Communities

2010 Review and Refresh

Cumbria County Council is required to carry out, with partners, a review and refresh of the Cumbria Local Area Agreement.

The 2010 review and refresh is of limited scope. The focus of the review is on a small number of targets in the Agreement. These targets have been identified as particularly likely to be impacted by the recession. This year's refresh is now in the process of being finalised.  

As part of the refresh process, negotiations have been taking place locally and with Government Office North West (GONW), with the refresh process to be fully complete by April 2010. 

Below you will find the 2009 refreshed Cumbria agreement: 

Local Area Agreement 2009 Refresh

The report below highlights the current situation and proposed targets for 2010/2011 addressing changes since April 2009. 

Details on 2010 Review and Refresh

Please contact either Clare Killeen (clare.killeen@cumbriacc.gov.uk) or Lawrence Geer (lawrence.geer@cumbriacc.gov.uk) for further information or to provide any comments.