LGA Chair's introduction
I am proud to lead the Local Government Association as we begin our next chapter – one that begins amid significant change for our sector. Rising costs, growing and increasingly complex community needs, economic uncertainty, and rapid technological advancement are reshaping the landscape in which we operate.
To help meet the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead, we have – in partnership with our members – created our new Strategic Framework. This framework sets out a renewed purpose to strengthen local government, so communities thrive. It presents a refreshed vision to champion and be the voice of local government, ensuring it has the resources, powers and support to deliver the best possible outcomes. And it articulates a new set of goals and updated organisational values and behaviours.
Upholding that framework are our pillars: the strategic plans for our medium-term finances, communications and engagement, assets, people and approach to digital, data and technology, and service delivery: our Business Plan.
This Business Plan is our blueprint for serving a changing sector – detailing how we will achieve our goals, meet our purpose and realise our vision. At the heart of the business plan lies our objectives, how we will achieve them and how we will demonstrate impact. Central to this work will be maintaining and developing our relationship with our most trusted partners: our members.
It sets out how we will champion local government by securing an equal partnership with central government, advocating for a sustainable financial settlement, and amplifying councillors’ democratic mandate. We will continually improve the sector by building strong partnerships and networks, and providing support through a peer-based, sector-led approach. We will inspire and promote innovation in local government by celebrating and accelerating the development and adoption of new ideas that help it continue to lead the way in public service excellence. We will maintain a strong and sustainable member-led LGA that delivers value by remaining financially resilient, people-focused, and innovative.
This Business Plan is more than a document — it is a commitment to delivery, accountability, transparency, financial resilience and value for our members, partners and stakeholders.
Councillor Louise Gittins, Chair, Local Government Association
LGA Chief Executive analysis
As our Chair makes clear, local government faces an era of unprecedented change, challenge and opportunity, making the LGA’s role more essential than ever.
As Chief Executive, it is my duty to ensure the LGA is equipped for this new era: well-run, financially sustainable, responsive, principled, and accountable – on behalf of our Board and, ultimately, our members.
This demands the development of a new Strategic Framework defining our purpose, vision, goals, values and behaviours, which are supported by a set of pillars that describe how we will achieve them. The LGA’s new Business Plan is one of those core pillars, driving delivery and accountability in the pursuit of our goals and objectives.
This plan is not just about delivering for the LGA. It is also about serving our 315 English member councils, 22 Welsh councils via the Welsh LGA, and 31 Fire and Rescue Authorities, and associate members like police and crime commissioners and national parks authorities – so they can serve their communities who depend on their services.
It is to ensure that every pound of our income – whether from improvement grants and other government funding, membership fees or other commercial revenue – is used as productively and impactfully as possible.
The Business Plan sets out 20 ambitious objectives across our four strategic goals, supported by a renewed performance framework to track and regularly report our progress and impact to our members through renewed governance arrangements, as well as to our funders, and partners.
Above all, we will continue to demonstrate our value – through legal representation for councils, evidence to the Covid-19 Inquiry, policy influence, and other tangible wins. These successes will also inform our external communications, helping to reinforce the case for local government and the LGA’s leadership within it.
I am pleased to present the Business Plan 2025-2028 – one of our core pillars, along with renewed strategic plans for our medium-term finances (MTFS), workforce (People Plan), digital, data and technology (Digital Plan), buildings and assets (Asset Plan) and Communications and Engagement Strategy – that will help us to champion and be the voice of local government, ensuring it has the resources, powers and support to deliver the best possible outcomes.
Joanna Killian, Chief Executive, Local Government Association
Introduction
The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local councils in England. It also represents councils in Wales through the Welsh LGA; fire and rescue authorities and welcomes associate members like police and crime commissioners and national parks authorities. Furthermore, it provides advice, support and services to all local authorities in England, including non-member councils and combined authorities.
The original LGA was established in 1997 by merging three council associations to unify local government representation in England and Wales. In 2010, the LGA merged with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) and other bodies, forming the LGA Group.
The group, referred to as “the LGA” in this business plan (unless otherwise stated), is a politically-led and cross-party organisation. While headquartered in London, it has staff located and working around the country giving it a local footprint, regional presence and national reach.
The LGA is an unlimited company and the LGA Board is its Board of Directors. The LGA Board sets the strategic direction of the LGA in consultation with the Executive Advisory Board (EAB) and agrees the annual budget and business plan*.
The work of the LGA is guided by four clear goals to represent, improve, innovate and sustain itself while adhering to the values of collaboration, inclusion, ambition and respect.
In doing so it promotes, advocates and lobbies for its members and provides a range of services to them (as well as non-members). It offers expert guidance and resources on critical issues like social care, housing, and climate change, helping councils address complex challenges.
The LGA also provides training, peer reviews and improvement programmes to enhance council performance and governance. Additionally, the LGA facilitates networking and collaboration among councils, sharing best practice and fostering innovation to improve community outcomes.
This Business Plan, as part of the new Strategic Framework, sets out how the LGA will – through continuing its trusted partnership with members – deliver its goals and realise its vision.
* The current governance structure is under review with recommendations on changes to be finalised and agreed at the LGA Board in April 2025.
Our business
Our people
As of 31 March 2025 the LGA employs 540 people. Our workforce is made up of a mix of permanent, temporary and contract staff to ensure a flexible approach to our most important resources. The workforce is grouped into four directorates as follows:
- Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
- Finance and Corporate Services Directorate
- Partnerships and Improvement Directorate
- Strategy and Policy Directorate.
In 2024 we had 1800 member and officer peers.
Our members
- 315 of 317 English councils are in full membership of the LGA
- all 22 Welsh councils are in membership through the Welsh LGA
- 31 fire and rescue authorities along with Essex, Northants, North Yorkshire and Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners are associate members
- our associate scheme also includes fire, police and crime commissioners, national parks authorities, town and parish councils, and other joint arrangements.
Our income 2025/26
| Income type | £ | % |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription income | 11,108,000 | 13.1% |
| All government grants | 57,562,000 | 67.8% |
| Events | 1,763,000 | 2.1% |
| Rental and property income | 4,477,000 | 5.3% |
| Joint ventures | 3,790,000 | 4.5% |
| Commercial income | 6,174,000 | 7.3% |
| Total | 84,874,000 | 100.0% |
Our expenditure
| Expenditure type | £ | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pay and pensions | 46,579,000 | 54% |
| Suppliers, services, consultancy, grants, travel, and so on. | 30,198,000 | 35% |
| Central services: Property, IT | 9,555,000 | 11% |
| Total excluding £5,845 overheads | 86,332,000 | - |
| Total as per budget 25/26 paper | 92,177,000 | - |
LGA in numbers 2024/25
- 2,000 councillors supported through our training programmes
- 6.8 per cent increase in overall core spending for local authorities in 25/26 achieved
- £1.2 billion additional funding for social care in 25/26 achieved
- 120 Corporate Peer Challenges and Progress Reviews delivered
- 298 mentions of the LGA in Parliament (23/24 parliamentary session)
- 3.5 million reached on social media channels
- 17,522 delegates attended our events with an overall 96 per cent satisfaction rate.
In our last membership perception survey, carried out in 2023:
Member feedback*
- 76 per cent would speak positively about the LGA
- 73 per cent are satisfied with the LGA's work
- 81 per cent feel the LGA keeps them informed about their work
- 76 per cent know a great deal or a fair amount about the LGA.
* Member Perception Survey 2023
Business plan objectives
Goal 1: To champion and represent local government
We will promote local government as a vital force for national and regional progress, securing its rightful role in shaping decisions, policies, and resources that affect communities.
- The LGA will work to secure an equal partnership between local and central government. This will be delivered through a strong, effective Leader’s Council, and through collaboration across government, involving local experts, to design and deliver key policy solutions, including on housing, homelessness, health and care, education, net zero and inclusive growth.
- The LGA will work to secure a long-term financial settlement for local government that supports the sustainability of local government and the services they provide to their communities. Engaging with key stakeholders, including our membership and central government, we will campaign to improve the local government finance system leading to greater control over local resources.
- The LGA will champion the important role of local authorities in the reform of public services and advocate for the powers, incentives and levers they need to deliver solutions in their communities. We will promote an optimistic vision of the power of local government, as we look to 2028 and beyond.
- The LGA will enhance its national impact and voice by developing and implementing a new communications and engagement strategy. This will build on our existing influence across Whitehall and in Parliament and include the adoption of a campaign approach focused on the key priorities of our membership.
- The LGA will champion the pivotal role of councillors in representing the interests of their communities, emphasizing their legitimacy and mandate as democratically elected officials and ensuring that local democracy remains vibrant and effective.
- The LGA will champion local government as a great place to work, celebrating the achievements of the workforce and supporting our members to attract and retain talent.
Goal 2: To continually improve local government
We will build strong partnerships and networks to provide support, helping local authorities improve through a peer-based, sector-led approach.
- The LGA will deliver a range of sector led improvement programmes for local authorities which make use of the skills and expertise from within the sector. By and for the sector, our peer-based approach will provide support in the key areas of governance, finance, leadership and workforce. This will include our flagship programmes of corporate peer challenge and the training and development of members and officers.
- The LGA will also deliver a wide range of improvement programmes covering some of the key service and cross-cutting issues that councils require support on. These will include the following areas: children's, adults, planning, building safety, cyber, one public estate, devolution and local government re-organisation, communications, procurement, sustainability and culture.
- The LGA will increase our regional focus and presence, putting our members at the heart of our own service design and reflecting the diversity of geographies and communities our members work in. Our regional teams, alongside our political group offices, will act as a front door to a range of offers, and lead on relationships with councils.
- The LGA will continue to provide robust, evidence-based assurance mechanisms to demonstrably drive and measure sector-wide improvement. We will act as the system leader of local government's improvement and assurance framework and maintain an overview of the performance of the sector and provide the support needed to local authorities.
- The LGA will provide improvement support to councils individually but also national programmes that our Members can access that are more cost effective to be provided nationally (for example, the national collective bargaining machinery, graduate recruitment programme).
Goal 3: To inspire and promote innovation in local government
We will celebrate and accelerate the development and adoption of new ideas that help local government continue to lead the way in public service excellence.
- The LGA will share best practice in innovation, including leadership skills, and provide the tools and training to enable councils, to deliver change, with confidence.
- The LGA will establish a Local Government Centre for Digital Technology to empower local authorities to harness digital technology. This centre will drive innovation, efficiency, and improved services for communities across the UK by providing comprehensive resources and guidance and fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among councils.
- The LGA will establish bold and innovative partnerships with our local authorities and with regional, national and international partners who share our purpose. Together, we will collaboratively address and find solutions to big societal challenges shaping the future of local government.
- The LGA will support the adoption and spread of proven innovations across local authorities.
Goal 4: To maintain a strong and sustainable Local Government Association
We will continue to be a strong, member-led organisation that delivers value by remaining financially resilient, people-focused, and innovative.
- The LGA will become more responsive, flexible, and innovative, using digital, data and technology to improve its leadership in public service.
- The LGA will improve its structure, organisation, and governance by using data-driven methods for better working, reporting, and performance.
- The LGA will ensure financial stability by seeking sustainable funding, diversifying income, enhancing commercial skills, and managing resources and assets for the long-term benefit of its members.
- The LGA will use all its talents, capabilities, and tools in a coordinated way to create positive impacts for its members.
- The LGA will attract, develop, and support a talented, values-driven, diverse, and future-focused workforce to achieve its goals and vision.
Measuring success
How we measure success
How we communicate success
- Chief Executive’s report to the LGA Board
- Board chair’s reports to Councillors’ Forum
- headlines report to SMT and LGA Board
- annual reports, including sector support annual report
- bulletins to council leaders, chief executives, members, council staff and stakeholders
- annual LGA in Parliament reports.