Local Government Association Launches 2026/27 Support Programme to Aid English Councils
The Local Government Association (LGA) has introduced its Sector Support Programme for the 2026/27 period, aimed at providing comprehensive, government-funded assistance to local and combined authorities across England. This initiative is designed to address the evolving challenges and opportunities faced by councils, focusing on strengthening governance, financial sustainability, and workforce capacity. The programme includes development opportunities for councillors and officers to help them navigate increasing complexity and demand pressures. Additionally, the LGA is investing in high-quality research and data to enable evidence-based decision-making and performance demonstration. The programme also features an enhanced benchmarking platform, LG Inform, which offers access to over 12,500 local-level performance metrics. The LGA's Corporate Peer Challenge programme has been further developed to support councils undergoing reorganization and to reflect the needs of combined authorities. 
