Two weeks ago I attended Peterborough's annual business awards.  At the event I saw the City Council, and the local paper, the Peterborough Telegraph, sit shoulder to shoulder at the heart of the event reflecting their joint commitment to the prosperity of the area.

This set me thinking about the relationships between councils and their local newspapers.

Talking to colleagues around the country recently, as well as senior figures from the newspaper industry, I hear more about how those relationships seem to be getting more fractious and less congenial.

There will always be competing perceptions that local papers decry councils unduly while councils obfuscate when asked to explain their actions.  And the debate in recent years over public notice advertising and council publications has probably done nothing to bring the two sides closer.

These are challenging times for both local newspapers and councils.  On one hand, local newspapers are struggling to maintain readership and advertising revenue.  On the other, councils face the challenge to continue doing their job as revenue sources from central government diminish rapidly.

My starting point has always been that local newspapers are read and trusted and such have a significant role to play in keeping local people informed, not just about the work of the council, but about key issues in the area.

I am also clear that local papers have a role to hold their councils to account, but they need to do that by reporting in a fair and balanced fashion.

The most significant common interest that councils and local papers share is their areas.

Councils are increasingly identifying economic development as a policy priority and papers need prosperous areas in which to sell more copies and advertising.

More councils and their local papers need to have a grown-up relationship.

This means as a minimum sharing a place at the table of the local strategic partnerships.

Once leaders, chief executives, editors and managing directors are talking about the big stuff on a regular basis, conversations to resolve day-to-day issues become both easier and more productive –you will even end up getting better coverage.

Cormac Smith is head of communications at Basildon DC and LG Comms chair