The Local Government Association has reached agreement with regional development agencies to urge the Government to require leaders’ forum agreement on the RDAs’ draft regional strategies before they are submitted to ministers. The move follows the consultation on the sub-national review documents, and the LGA has now welcomed the introduction of a single, regional strategy, and agreed that RDAs should have executive responsibility for their development. But the two sides have accepted that local authorities should be involved in their preparation from the outset, and that there should be engagement with other stakeholders. ‘Councils will bring to the process their elective mandate to help ensure that it commands support across the region,’ says the two sides’ joint statement. Both sides have also welcomed the enhanced role for local government in economic development and that planning should remain anchored in democratic political processes. The draft single strategies will be agreed by the leaders’ board and RDA before they go to ministers and that ministerial intervention should only be sought as a last resort. The joint statement accepts that RDAs will continue to lead on some economic areas including regional delivery, investment, innovation and business support.