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‘Stop stifling us with red tape’ advise London leaders
The current regulatory and inspection system on London's boroughs is 'burdensome and stifling' and the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) will only make it worse, said London Councils this week.
Responding to the joint consultation on CAA by the Audit Commission, London Councils has written to the AC outlining London leaders' opposition to any proposals that fail to deal decisively with the current burden of inspection and regulation.
Despite the high performance of London's councils and the Commission's commitment to a 'lighter touch' through its draft proposals for the CAA regime, the Commission run the risk the of detracting even more officer time away from providing key services to the people they serve.
In his letter to the Chairman of the Audit Commission Michael O'Higgins, Chairman of London Councils Councillor Merrick Cockell said:
"We are very concerned that the new CAA arrangements may by stealth become as burdensome as the previous Comprehensive Performance Assessment, hampering the overwhelming successes that authorities have achieved in the last five years.
"A number of London authorities are not just talking about need for a better balance between external assessments and regulation, and self challenge and peer review, but are taking the initiative in developing robust models for how this might work.
"In working with Capital Ambition London Councils have been considering CAA proposals in a broader sense and we believe that London should become a mature, self regulating capital city and has the potential in its local government to do so."
Notes to editors
Link to London Councils response to the Audit Commission letter
For press enquiries please contact: Holly Sutton on 020 7934 9842Holly.sutton@londoncouncils.gov.uk Fax 020 7934 9777
For non-media enquiries contact: London Councils, 59½ Southwark Street, London SE1 0AL. Tel 020 7934 9999
