The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will have two members back at the Cabinet table, following the reshuffle.
Local government has welcomed the appointment of former councillor and council officer, Hazel Blears, as new secretary of state for communities and local government.
And housing minister, Yvette Cooper, will join Cabinet without voting rights – giving local government a bolstered voice within the Government.
Ms Blears is a former solicitor for Manchester City Council, Rossendale BC and Wigan MBC, and member for Salford City Council.
Her roles as minister for health and crime reduction also make her well placed to understand Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements. She takes over from Ruth Kelly, who was shifted to the secretary of state for transport.
Replacing Phil Woolas as local government minister is former financial secretary to the Treasury, John Healey.
The new parliamentary under secretaries for the department are Iain Wright, MP for Hartlepool and former accountant for RDA OneNorthEast; and Parmjit Dhanda, formerly at the DfES and MP for Gloucester, who formerly worked for communications union Connect.
Baroness Andrews remains in post.
Former director of the New Local Government Network (NLGN), Dan Corry, now heads up the Number 10 policy unit, following Gordon Brown from the Treasury. Former NLGN head of policy, Anna Randle, will also remain as special adviser to Ruth Kelly, following her move from the DCLG to the DfT.
Current director of the NLGN, Chris Leslie, is back in post after a secondment as adviser to Mr Brown's campaign.
Conservative leader, David Cameron, has also made changes to his top team.