Panel appointed as part of Government intervention at Liverpool completes report

A panel set up as part of the Government's intervention at Liverpool City Council has sent its report on the problems facing the local authority to the Government for its consideration.

Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, who is chair of the Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel, said: "The Panel tasked with supporting Liverpool's long-term future has agreed its interim assessment of the challenges facing the city, and its key areas of focus following extensive community engagement."

The mayor added: "The report is being sent to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Rt Hon Micheal Gove MP, for his consideration and is expected to be published later this year."

Three hundred stakeholders across the Liverpool City Region took part in evidence-gathering sessions as part of the panel's process.

Commenting on the news, Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: "I'd like to thank the Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel for their support. Their interim report on the challenges facing the city is a key piece of work and the feedback received from stakeholders is very encouraging in helping to set out a new era of partnership working."

Commissioners were appointed in March 2021 after an independent investigation carried out by Max Caller revealed that the council had failed in numerous ways to comply with its Best Value Duty.

Two reports have been published by the commissioners since, with the most recent report being issued in June 2022. The June report found further instances of failure and advised that further directions would be required to resolve the problems.

Responding to the second report in August 2022, the Secretary of State expanded the intervention and announced his intention to establish the Liverpool Strategic Futures Panel.

Steve Rotheram chairs the panel. He is supported by Sir Howard Bernstein, who was chief executive of Manchester City Council from 1999 to 2017, and Baroness Judith Blake, the leader of Leeds City Council from 2015 to 2021.

Adam Carey