‘Watershed’ moment as Commissioners prepare to restore some power to council

The Commissioners appointed to Liverpool City Council, following the Best Value Inspection report, have announced plans to hand back some powers to the local authority ahead of schedule, although they say some challenges remain.

Government Commissioners were installed within the council in June 2021, to oversee certain aspects of the authority.

The then Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick, decided to send in independent Commissioners to improve the running of the local authority following publication of the Max Caller report in March that year into how the council was being run following the arrest of five people linked to Operation Aloft Police investigations.

The Commissioners last reported on their progress in March this year. In their fourth report they said: “Since our last report, there have been significant changes in the political and officer leadership of the council.

“Cllr Liam Robinson has been elected as leader and Andrew Lewis has taken up the role of chief executive. Alongside this, a new cabinet has been elected and there have been several new additions to the corporate leadership team.

“We are pleased to report that the new leadership understand what needs to be done and are resolute about making the progress rightly expected from the people of Liverpool. The pace of improvement at the council over the last six months has been positive and is very encouraging.”

They added: “In the areas of Transport & Highways and Finance, particularly good progress has been made towards reaching stability and continuous improvement. For this reason, we have recommended to the Secretary of State that powers are returned from Commissioners to the council ahead of the initially envisaged end of the intervention in June 2024.

“This is a significantly positive step in the intervention and a demonstration of the confidence that Commissioners have in the leadership of the council in these areas.

“Challenges do remain across the council, however, and there is still a lot to do to make the required improvements. In our report, we note our concerns regarding Property Services. To set these out in more detail and clarify our expectations in this area, we have written a separate letter to the council leader and chief executive. This letter will be published alongside our report.”

Their report said: “The primary messages in this report are positive and the hard work of many people across the council is recognised by Commissioners. Given the scale of the improvement challenge and time remaining, it is likely the council will continue to require support beyond June 2024.

“Any ongoing support will be at a reduced scope, cost and Commissioner presence. Commissioners will discuss options with the council leader and chief executive before making any recommendations.”

Cllr Robinson said: “I am confident that this report is a watershed moment and marks the beginning of the end of the intervention here in Liverpool.

“I am really pleased that the Commissioners have recognised the pace at which the new cabinet are operating at, in conjunction with the council management team.

“I firmly believe we have delivered 12 months’ work in our first six months in office to get us to this point, and I want to pay tribute to all of the officers and councillors who have worked so hard to deliver improved services for our residents.”

He added: “We are absolutely not complacent. We started from a very low base in some areas and there is much more to do, particularly in areas such as property management.

“However, when combined with the Futures’ Panel work around regenerating Liverpool, I believe we have every reason to be optimistic.”