Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009

69 Local authority economic assessments

(1) A principal local authority in England must prepare an assessment of the economic conditions of its area.

(2) A principal local authority may revise the assessment, or any part or aspect of it, at any time.

(3) In this Part “principal local authority” means—

(a) a county council;

(b) a district council, other than a non-unitary district council;

(c) a London borough council;

(d) the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority;

(e) the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

(4) In discharging its functions under this section, a principal local authority must consult such persons as it considers appropriate.

(5) Where a principal local authority is a county council for an area for which there is a district council, the following duties also apply in relation to the discharge by the county council of its functions under this section—

(a) the county council must consult and seek the participation of the district council;

(b) the county council must have regard to any material produced by the district council in the discharge of the district council’s functions under section 13 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (c. 5);

(c) the district council must co-operate with the county council.

(6) A principal local authority must have regard to any guidance given by the Secretary of State—

(a) as to what an assessment under this section should contain and how it should be prepared;

(b) as to when to prepare an assessment under subsection (1);

(c) as to when to revise any assessment, or any part or aspect of an assessment, under subsection (2).

(7) Before giving guidance under subsection (6) the Secretary of State must consult—

(a) such representatives of local government as the Secretary of State considers appropriate, and

(b) such other persons (if any) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(8) In subsection (3), “non-unitary district council” means a district council for an area that is part of the area of a county council.