As part of the government’s reform of local government as formulated in Putting People First: Action Programme for Effective Local Government (2012), the Local Government Reform Act (2014) provided for the existing eight regional authorities and two regional assemblies to be replaced by three new regional assemblies. The new assemblies were established with effect from 1 January 2015 by the Local Government Act (1991). The aim of the new assemblies is to co-ordinate, promote and support strategic planning and sustainable development as well as promote efficiencies in local government and public services. They do so by drawing up regional spatial and economic strategies in conjunction with the various enterprise and economic development agencies. Culture does appear in Regional Assembly, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy documents. For example, it appears as an asset (mainly tangible heritage infrastructure) as well as under the principle of healthy place making where creative places contribute to ‘healthy and attractive places to live, work, visit and study in’. Arts and cultural support is not provided at a regional level, but is funded through local authority arts offices. These offices are financed in part from the Arts Council and partly through the local authority.
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