Cultural change and the evolution of community governance: a North‑West England perspective

Abstract

This chapter investigates the response of a local authority in Greater Manchester, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, to the opportunities afforded by localism, implemented in the face of austerity. The impact of austerity measures imposed by central government amounted to an effective reduction in Wigan Council's budget of 40 per cent phased in over 10 years, and a loss of around a fifth of its workforce. Wigan experienced the fifth highest cut in spending out of all local authorities. The response, the creation of the 'Wigan Deal', is a major transformation programme which is still ongoing at the time of writing. The transformation started in 2012 and is both an approach to manage demand for services as well as a positive change in the understanding and relationship between citizens and public servants.