Commitment to people, the planet and equality as the Liverpool City Council 2022-2025 plan is released

Liverpool City Council is pledging to put residents at the heart of everything it does, as part of a fundamental transformation of services.

The Liverpool City Council Plan 2022-2025 outlines a vision for a trusted, aspirational and learning council, enabling a thriving and sustainable city for everyone.

The document, which was formally adopted by councillors last week, lays bare the huge challenges the city faces, as the fourth most deprived local authority area in England.

A total of 48% of residents – and 57% of children – live in neighbourhoods that are among the 10% most deprived in England (source: Indices of Deprivation 2019). Both men and women in Liverpool can expect to live for 3.3 years less than the English average, and those living in Everton can expect to live 12.7 years less than those in Church ward.

Whilst the city has seen a steady and substantial increase in the proportion of residents educated to graduate level, the proportion of residents with no qualifications at all has remained at twice the national average for the past decade.

Credit: Liverpool City Council

The plan identifies the priorities and actions over the next three years, incorporating Mayor Joanne Anderson’s manifesto commitments and embedding the Triple Lock principles into how the council operates.

There will be a relentless focus on reducing health inequalities, improving education attainment and reshaping the economy to help address in-work poverty, job insecurity, whilst ensuring a living income for those in work and supporting those not in work.

There are eight strategic themes:

• A strong and vibrant and fair economy for all, green and affordable homes
• High quality education, skills and employment for all
• Happier, healthier and independent lives
• Children and young people enjoy the best quality of life and reach their full potential
• A sustainable, accessible and greener Liverpool for all
• A culturally diverse, internationally ambitious and authentic city for all
• Thriving, empowered and compassionate communities for all
• A well-run council

To achieve the vision and priorities, the council will fundamentally transform how it operates, across five

key areas:

Becoming financially resilient – focusing on financial stabilisation in year one and progressing to become a top performing council across all services by 2026/27. Improvement across many areas such as: clear financial accountability, managing overspends, delivering on savings commitments and business planning.

Redefining the council’s role –  become much more effective in working with elected members, residents, communities and partners in all sectors regionally and locally, and across central government. Thereby tackling the most challenging issues facing the city and improving the life chance of all residents.

Credit: Liverpool City Council

Changing how the council works – moving away from a silo-focus on services and instead placing a much greater emphasis on neighbourhoods, where it makes sense to do so.

Becoming a better run organisation –  improving and reducing the cost of services by finding smarter ways to listen and respond more quickly, to be transparent in how decisions are made and be more open to scrutiny. Creating a more diverse workforce, where everyone feels safe, valued and can thrive.

A strong advocate for the city – being passionate about Liverpool and its resident, being assertive and bold when change is needed. Attracting investment which will benefit all residents.

The Triple Lock Commitment: People, Planet, Equality

Liverpool City Council wants to become more effective at measuring, not just financial factors, but also the human and environmental factors behind each decision. The Triple Lock is focused on:

Social value – increasingly testing key decisions to make sure the council achieves the best outcomes for people and communities. Maximising the opportunities through the procurement process to support community wealth-building.

Climate change – assessing the environmental impact of every decision, helping Liverpool to become net zero carbon by 2030.

Equality and inclusion – creating the council’s own equality standards to ensure equality of opportunity for staff and residents. Focusing work on ensuring that the needs of those with protected characteristics are met within employment and service delivery.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said:

“Our residents deserve the very best from those who serve them and have a council they can be proud of. For too long we have been an organisation that has imposed decisions on communities and have done things in a way that is not acceptable.

“This has to change, and is changing, I am proud of the improvements already made since May 2021. In this plan, we set out our bold new vision for the future and what needs to happen between 2022 and 2025 to make it a reality.

“We have listened and responded to residents’ feedback and to the findings from the government intervention and commissioners’ reports. As a council, we will now have a laser-like focus on our finances, improving the quality of our services, delivering excellent customer services, and becoming a better employer.

“We will change how we work with residents and our partners, and ensure we attract talent, investment and resource to the city. This Council Plan also clearly shows how the council will contribute to the delivery of the City Plan – a shared set of commitments signed up to by partners from across the city.

Credit: Liverpool City Council

“My philosophy is that of people, planet, and equality – this means improving communities, tackling climate change and giving everyone equality of opportunity – and the chance to succeed. We will put people first by listening to our residents and involving them in the decision-making that most affects their lives and communities.

“I believe we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset the dial and make changes which will improve the lives of residents now and for generations to come. As a council, we will be bold, creative and build on the best this city has to offer. Liverpool’s new story must be one of social justice, equality and opportunity.”

Liverpool City Council Chief Executive, Tony Reeves, said:

“There are plenty of new opportunities and existing strengths to build upon, whilst ensuring the benefits of a growing economy reach all of Liverpool’s people and communities.

“The city was the UK’s fifth most visited destination  in the UK before the pandemic. Liverpool’s global brand, its quality culture, sport, leisure, hospitality and retail offer remain first class.

Credit: Liverpool City Council

“The visitor economy has been impacted more than most through the pandemic, but the resilience, innovation and partnership working seen in the city throughout the pandemic provides a strong foundation for a healthy recovery.

“We must change as an organisation to be fit for purpose, and financially robust across all of our services, to meet these

challenges and fully realise the city’s opportunities.

“It is important that we are both ambitious and realistic in our approach. There is much to do and focusing our limited resources will be important.”

Credit: Liverpool City Council

The Council Plan sets out the organisation’s contribution to delivering the vision and long-term ambitions contained within the City Plan, which is collectively owned by, and developed with, the leaders of the city’s largest organisations and networks.

It also incorporates how the council will deliver the Strategic Improvement Plan – the list of actions agreed with the government commissioners.

Read the Liverpool City Council Plan here.