Welsh Government and local government renew Strategic Partnership Agreement to strengthen trusted working relationship

The Welsh Government and local government have today renewed their Strategic Partnership Agreement, reaffirming a shared commitment to working together in the interests of communities across Wales. 

The renewed Agreement, launched at the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) Conference, builds on the success of the original Agreement and reflects the commitment of both the new Welsh Government and local government to deepen and strengthen their relationship. 

This renewal focuses on reasserting the underpinning principles of trusted partnership, including a joint commitment to fair funding, reducing bureaucracy and sector-led improvement.  

It also includes new collective commitments relating to Welsh-speaking communities, and economic development and regeneration, alongside updated commitments on equity, inclusivity and participation, tackling health inequalities, poverty, and abuse in politics. 

Both national and local government committing to the ways of working in the revised Agreement will ensure that people across Wales see the practical benefits of shared ambitions aligned with the new Welsh Government's Programme for Government. 

Siân Gwenllian MS, Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, said: "This renewed Agreement reflects our determination, as a new Welsh Government, to build a close and trusted partnership with local government from day one.  

“Councils are on the front line of delivering the services people rely on every day, and I want them to know that we will work with them, not around them, as we take forward our priorities for Wales.  

“It is important that people across Wales can see the real difference this renewed relationship makes to their lives and communities." 

Councillor Anthony Hunt, WLGA Leader, said: “Strong partnership between local and national government matters because the decisions we make together affect people’s everyday lives, from the care they receive and the homes they live in to their schools, jobs and local communities.

“This agreement gives us a shared foundation for working together with trust, openness and respect. By listening to councils and drawing on their understanding of the communities they serve, we can make better decisions, support services under pressure and improve outcomes for people across Wales.”