Cutting the number of unemployed youngsters, reducing teenage pregnancies and providing affordable housing are the most popular town hall aspirations under local government's revamped targets regime. The CLG published the first set of targets that underpin the sector's new local area agreements on 30 June. Under the plan, the number of performance indicators for councils has been slashed from 1,200 to 198, while senior council staff will be expected to focus on just 35 locally-selected formal targets. Despite recent reports that the Home Office had distorted the new regime by promoting combating violent extremism as a core target, councils largely steered clear of including an anti-extremism indicator in their priority list. Reducing the number of ‘NEETs' – 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training – was the most popular target, chosen by 115 out of 150 authorities. Dave Simmonds, director of the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, which promotes social justice, told The MJ: ‘It's very welcome to see so many authorities promoting the interests of 16 to 18-year-olds, and social disadvantage generally, as their prime local targets. Localising targets is a big step forward.' Communities secretary, Hazel Blears, said the transparency of LAAs could reinvigorate community engagement. ‘If knowledge is power, then this is more empowerment to local people. They will be able to see what local government providers plan to do,' she said. Top 10 targets under the LAA regime Target Number of authorities (out of 150) 16 to 18 year-olds NEETs 115 Under-18 conception rate 106 Net additional homes provided 104 Number of affordable homes delivered 102 Per capita reduction in CO2 emissions 100 Obesity among primary school children in year 6 99` Serious acquisitive crime rate 98 Proportion of population qualified to Level 2+ 95 Stopping smoking 89 % of people who believe their community is cohesive 87
