"Local government has a crucial role to play in creating sustainable communities. It can lead the local community, reflecting and responding to the needs and priorities of local people. It brings together a wide range of services to deliver the outcomes that matter to people locally. And it is democratically accountable to all citizens, balancing the interests of individuals and groups with those of the wider community. This paper recognises that local government should be at the heart of our communities in the years ahead. But it also makes clear that this role cannot be taken for granted. Both local and central government will need to change to meet the challenges of the next ten years and to ensure that people will look to their council as a place where things get done."