Sir Michael Lyons has called on council finance directors to play a greater role in their local communities.

In a speech yesterday to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) annual conference, Sir Michael told local authority treasurers to do more to encourage investment in their areas. He said they should be ‘finance directors for council and community'. Sir Michael also outlined the findings from his interim report on the future of local government, which was published last month. He said councils must take on a broader role, engage with residents and show a strong commitment to value for money. Sir Michael will present his final recommendations on local government and council finance to the Government in December.