Liverpool City Council has announced that it has welcomed the latest report from the government’s commissioners that has opened up the possibility of the transferring of some powers back to the council.
If the Secretary of State was to follow these recommendations, it would come ahead of schedule, with this marking the significant progress that has been made by the council since the commissioners were appointed. The latest report is the fourth to come from the commissioners, with it claiming that the pace of improvement within the council has improved. This has resulted in optimism within the commissioner team and an expectation for “significant parts” of the intervention to conclude in June next year.
This improvement has also been recognised by the Local Government Minister, who has noted both the progress made and the areas that are still in need of development. With this, it has been recommended that powers relating to highways, strategic finance and non-statutory officer appointments are transitioned back to the council by March 2024.
Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of the council, 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 offices and councillors who have worked so hard to deliver improved services for our residents.
“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.”
The next report will come in March 2024, with its publication marking the point at which the commissioners identify what will happen at the end of their intervention within the council. Whilst those “significant parts” of the intervention are anticipated to conclude, the council accepts that some limited oversight might be required beyond June 2024.
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