Liverpool City Council pledges to address inspection concerns

Liverpool City Council says it takes the findings of a report from Government inspector, Max Caller CBE, into its Highways, Regeneration and Property Management functions extremely seriously.

The inspector has found failings in relation to land disposal, governance and the relationship between elected members and officers, and makes a series of recommendations to tackle them.

This includes sending commissioners to work alongside officers and councillors, a reduction in councillors and a move to all-out elections every four years.

The council has pledged to address all of the concerns raised and continue its journey of improvement.

It's after the Communities Secretary proposed sending government commissioners into the City Council for the next three years :

Robert Jenrick : "Expressed in formal terms, I am satisfied that the council is failing to comply with its best value duty. Therefore, I need to consider exercising my powers of intervention to secure compliance with the duty.

"To that end, in line with the procedures laid down in the Local Government Act 1999, I am writing today to the council asking them to make representations both on the Inspectorate's report and on a proposed intervention package.

"This package is centred on putting in place commissioners who I will appoint to exercise certain and limited functions of the council as required for a minimum of three years.''

Robert Jenrick added that the report identifies "multiple apparent failures'' by Liverpool City Council.

He told the Commons: "I am also proposing that the council will, under the oversight of the commissioners, prepare and implement an improvement plan.''

The Communities Secretary continued: "As a whole, the report is unequivocal - that Liverpool City Council has failed in numerous respects to comply with its best value duty.

"It concludes that the council consistently failed to meet its statutory and managerial responsibilities and that the pervasive culture appeared to be rule avoidance.

"It further concludes that changes need to be radical, delivered at pace, and there was no confidence that the council itself would be able to implement these to any sensible timescale.

"There may also be further issues of which we are not yet aware, and the report is careful not to speak to matters that might compromise the ongoing police investigation.''