Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

THE Government has confirmed a significant reduction in the intervention at Liverpool City Council, with the publication of revised directions. The Commissioners will hand back powers for several functions over the coming weeks, earlier than planned. This means Liverpool City Council will once again have the ability to appoint most senior managers who will be returned to the Council with immediate effect. Also, the Council will regain oversight of the finance and highways functions.

The powers were stripped from Liverpool City Council in:- June 2021, when the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, appointed 4 Commissioners for Liverpool City Council. These appointments were made following the completion of a:- 'Best Value Inspection' by Max Caller CBE. The publication of the:- 'The Best Value Report' in March 2021, has found evidence that the Council had failed in numerous ways to comply with its:- 'Best Value Duty' (Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1999).

The Commissioners' role was to support the Council's improvement as per the directions set out by the Secretary of State, and report directly to the Secretary of State on progress made within the Council. See Commissioners' publications for further information about the directions, updates to the Secretary of State and the establishment of the intervention.

The Commissioners appointed were:-

Lead Commissioner - Mike Cunningham QPM, Mike Cunningham
Local Government Improvement Commissioner - Joanna Killian
Highways Commissioner - Neil Gibson
Regeneration Commissioner - Deborah McLaughlin
Finance Commissioner - Stephen Hughes

They were also accompanied by a Civil Servant, Chief of Staff - Tom Smith.

We are now told that the size of the Commissioner team will reduce to 4 from:- 18 March 2024 following the resignation of Joanna Killian, who is taking up a new post as Chief Executive of the Local Government Association.

The remaining Commissioners will now steadily reduce their involvement and days spent with the Council.

Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said:- "I'm really pleased that the Government has accepted the recommendations of the Commissioners and confirmed the handing back of some powers to the Council ahead of schedule. It is a recognition of the fact that we have made significant progress over the last nine months or so, although we know that we have much more to do. We are continuing to work at pace to deal with those areas where we still need to make progress, such as property management. I am confident this marks the beginning of the end of the intervention as we know it. It is a tribute to the hard work of staff and Councilors who have worked so hard to put in place the building blocks for improved services. I want to reassure residents that we are not complacent and we continue to move at pace to drive the improvements we need to make and achieve our ambition of becoming an excellent council delivering value-for-money services. Cllr Liam Robinson has held constructive discussions with the Local Government Minister, Simon Hoare MP, about the intervention. He has written to Cllr Robinson to say the Government recognises the progress made and “wishes to support a managed transition to ending the statutory intervention."

The Commissioners will continue to exercise functions relating to governance, regeneration, property management, and a limited number of senior appointments including the Director of Property, those related to HR/organisational development, and statutory officers.

The next Commissioners report will outline what will happen at the scheduled end of the intervention in June 2024.

Documents relating to the inspection into the governance of Liverpool City Council and the best value intervention can be located on:- Gov.UK.

Liverpool (Gladstone)

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