sport

Local Government and Sport

Local government spends approximately £1 billion per year on sport and leisure, more than 50% of the total resources available to sport.

For further details about the links between local government and sport visit the Sport England website.

Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA)

The CPA is an Audit Commission method of assessing the performance of councils and the services that they provide for local people. 

DCMS has worked with Sport England and key partners to secure a culture block, which includes sport, in the new CPA framework for 2005-08 for Upper Tier Authorities.  This reflects a significant improvement on its previous position.

Ensuring this strengthened culture block is embedded within the CPA framework for upper tier authorities will help to focus resources on sport and leisure and strengthen our ability to achieve the national participation targets for sport.

Local Area Agreements (LAA)

Local Area Agreements are agreements, covering the area of one or more local authorities, which focus on a collection of goals across a range of services and which can relate to either national or local priorities.

The upper tier local authority liaises with a range of bodies with an interest in joined up delivery to set these priorities.

Sport England is recommending that local authorities negotiating LAAs make efforts to show how sport and physical activity will play a major role in delivering their Community Plan and LAA targets.

Local Public Service Agreements (LPSA)

LPSAs are voluntary three-year agreements between the Government and an individual local authority, or a county in partnership with its Districts.  Where improving health, educational attainment and community cohesion are key priorities, sport can play a role. 

Towards an Excellent Service (TAES)

We are one of several partners of Sport England in the promotion of the TAES programme.

TAES is a self-assessment improvement tool with three objectives:

• To provide a basis for self-assessment that will enable sport and recreation services to achieve continuous improvement.
• To provide a vehicle through which the national framework for sport and national priorities can be delivered.
• To provide a basis for future inspection regimes if required.

A second version of TAES is being developed for County Sports Partnerships and will be piloted shortly.