Fears they are under-represented have led district councils at the LGA to back moves to set up a network promoting their cause. A packed meeting of district leaders and chief executives during the LGA conference in Bournemouth last week backed proposals by Chiltern DC leader, Tom Dodd, to set up the District Sounding Board. Cllr Dodd, who has been interim chairman of the board during its planning stage, said there was a ‘prime need for districts to argue their case’. He said it would represent all 238 English districts, with a particular aim of ensuring their voice was heard after the publication of the White Paper in October. It will be managed by an executive of 16 leaders elected by all districts. Cllr Dodd said: ‘District opinion hasn’t been heard as it should be. This new board will help the LGA learn about opinion on the ground.’ LGA chairman Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: ‘Some districts tell me they feel under represented in the Central Local Partnership, yet districts had the highest grant rises of any tiers this year.’ The board will complement the work of the district chief executives’ network set up two years ago.
