Background to SIGOMA
SIGOMA is a campaigning network of urban local authorities, we are open to all metropolitan districts outside London
and to urban unitary councils sharing similar characteristics with our existing members.
We have metropolitan and unitary councils with a total of
45
members, stretching from the north-east and north-west , through
Yorkshire and the Midlands to the south-west coast. Our members have a combined population of 13 million people, making
SIGOMA one of the largest special interest groups (SIGs) within the Local Government Association (LGA) and accountable
for about 25% of local government spending in England.
SIGOMA is structured in the following way:
Cllr Stephen Houghton (Barnsley MBC) | Chair |
Neil Turner MP | Chair of MPs Groups |
Cllr Peter Smith (Wigan MBC) | Vice Chair |
Diana Terris | Secretary |
SIGOMA Office Contacts and research
|
Frances Foster | Treasurer |
Geoff Winterbottom | Principal Research Officer |
How SIGOMA works
Views and concerns from SIGOMA members are channeled through meetings and groups
of member authorities:
- Full Member Meetings of elected representatives from each SIGOMA authority are held quarterly. To enable SIGOMA
to operate as a representative and effective interest group, several sub-groups have been established.
- Executive Committee, comprising of Councillors for members authorities, meets every quarter and is responsible
for overseeing the work of the whole SIGOMA group, agreeing priorities and setting broad objectives.
- A Technical Officers group of finance experts and accountants from each authority also networks and meets to
work out joint projects as well as share information, as does a group of Urban Policy Officers.
- SIGOMA has a Parliamentary Group of MP’s representing constituencies in member authorities. Regular meetings
with MP’s and an increase in overall activity of MP’s on SIGOMA’s behalf have strengthened this relationship.
- The SIGOMA Office works to the Executive and Parliamentary group. It is responsible for servicing all SIGOMA
groups, carrying out research and managing projects.
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