Councils to be Measured on New Draft Metrics

Last week, the Government published a new draft Local Government Outcomes Framework, setting out a proposed structure for how central and local government might work together to measure progress on key public service outcomes. The framework identifies priority areas, associated outcome measures, and a series of draft metrics for sector engagement.

The announcement was made during the Local Government Association (LGA) Annual Conference, where Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP outlined the Government’s ambitions for local government reform and service delivery.

The proposed framework includes 15 priority outcome areas, ranging from housing, homelessness and social care, to climate resilience, neighbourhood safety, and public transport. Each is underpinned by a selection of draft metrics — including both outcome and output measures — which aim to support more consistent, transparent monitoring of local performance over time.

Headline priorities include:

• Everyone has access to a decent, safe, secure, and affordable home
• People live healthier lives for longer and health inequalities are reduced
• Communities are connected with improved, healthier and greener public transport
• Care users and carers experience high quality adult social care
• Children and young people are supported to achieve and thrive
• Neighbourhoods are safe, inclusive and resilient

Contextual areas such as child poverty, local economic growth, and enterprise survival are also included.

For rural areas, many of the proposed metrics touch directly on long-standing challenges — including housing affordability, transport connectivity, adult social care pressures, and access to early years support and community infrastructure. The Government has indicated that further engagement with the sector will help refine these metrics ahead of future implementation.

The framework is part of the Government’s wider agenda to align local service delivery with national outcomes, building on recent announcements around the “Plan for Change” and commitments to social housing, public service reform and levelling up.

Local authorities and other interested parties have been invited to provide feedback in writing via an online form by midnight 12 September 2025. Feedback can also be emailed to [email protected].

You can read the full framework and draft metrics here