Frequently Asked Questions
What is Your Place, Your Future and why are you doing it?
Your Place, Your Future is a national conversation about the future of local places, run by the Local Government Association (LGA), the national membership body for councils in England.
It is part of LG2040, our programme looking at the future of local government. Over the past year, we have worked with councils, partners and experts to understand some of the changes that could shape local places over the next 15 years. Now we want to hear from the people who live in those places.
We want to understand what people value about where they live, what they want to be different and what they think councils, communities and others could do to help places thrive by 2040. What we hear will inform the next stage of LG2040 and the LGA’s work with councils and government as we look towards 2040.
What are you asking?
Everything starts with one question:
Imagine it’s 2040 and your area is thriving. What’s the story of how it got there?
There are three parts to the conversation:
- Helping people thrive: What did the council do to help?
- Helping communities thrive: What helped your community thrive?
- Helping places thrive together: What helped people and the council work well together?
There are no right or wrong answers. We’re interested in your experiences, ideas and hopes for the future.
What happens to what I say?
We’ll read and analyse the contributions to understand the main ideas, themes and areas of support or disagreement across the conversation.
The findings will be published in early 2027 and will inform the next stage of LG2040 and the LGA’s work with councils and government as we look towards 2040.
Who can take part?
Anyone aged 18 or over who lives in England can take part.
People responding from an organisation or community group are also welcome to contribute.
What about young people?
The online conversation is for people aged 18 and over. We are developing a separate strand for young people, working with youth councils and youth organisations, after the main conversation closes.
Do I need to know anything about councils?
No. The questions are about where you live, your experiences and what you think could help your area thrive in the future.
How does the online conversation work?
The conversation takes place on Safe Spaces, an online engagement platform run with Clever Together.
You can add your own ideas under any or all of the three questions, read what other people have said, comment on ideas and use the Like and Dislike buttons to show what you think.
You don’t have to agree with the ideas you see. You might like one part but not another, or have a completely different idea of your own. The conversation builds as more people take part.
Do I have to make comments or post ideas?
No. You can simply log in and read the discussion or use the 'Like' and 'Dislike' buttons to submit your views. We believe that everyone has something to contribute.
How do I sign in?
You’ll create a simple login when you first take part. This lets you return to the conversation while it is open.
If you don’t receive your login details, check your junk or spam folder. If they’re not there, contact Clever Together at support@clevertogether.com.
Is it anonymous?
Other participants will not see your name alongside your ideas, comments or votes. Your login details are not displayed to other participants or to the facilitators. This means your contributions will be considered based on what you say, not who you are.
Full information about how your data is handled is available in the privacy information on the platform.
What information will you ask about me?
We’ll ask for your region and age group. We’ll also ask whether you’re responding as a resident or on behalf of an organisation or group. This helps us understand broadly who we have heard from.
When is the conversation open?
Your Place, Your Future opens on 19 October 2026 and closes on 13 November 2026.
You can return and contribute as often as you like while it is open.
What are the rules?
We want people to feel able to share different and sometimes opposing views. You don’t have to agree with other participants, but contributions should be respectful.
Our community guidelines set out four simple ground rules:
- Keep it anonymous
- Keep it respectful
- Keep it relevant
- Keep it legal
Is the conversation moderated?
Yes. The LGA and Clever Together will moderate the conversation throughout.
They may move contributions to a more relevant part of the conversation, ask follow-up questions or remove content that breaks the community guidelines.
Can I view the conversation in another language?
The platform includes a translation tool which can translate content on the page into other languages.
Select the accessibility and translation icon on the platform and choose the language you want to use.
What accessibility support is available?
The platform includes accessibility tools to help people read and navigate the conversation, including translation, text-to-speech and text magnification.
An easy-read version of the information about Your Place, Your Future is also available on the webpage.
How are the consultation responses analysed?
All contributions, no matter how large or small, will be read and analysed by the LGA/Clever Together team. They will then use qualitative thematic analysis to identify key themes and trends. LGA/Clever Together will highlight the main areas of discussion, and distil the findings, so they can be used in ongoing discussions with, and input into, the Casey Commission.
Who can I contact if I need help?
For technical problems using the platform, contact Clever Together at support@clevertogether.com.
For questions about Your Place, Your Future or LG2040, contact:
LG Horizons
Local Government Association
LGHorizons@local.gov.uk.