Secretary of State for Level Up, Housing and Communities Greg Clark tells Liverpool City Council to increase government oversight over local authorities following Commissioner Max Kohler’s report that the council does not meet its standards Said he was going to. “Best Value” Obligations.
In a letter dated 19 August, the Minister informed the Council that due to a lack of competence and competence at the senior management level, he plans to appoint a Commissioner to oversee the Council’s finance, governance and recruitment functions. . Councils have until September 2nd to respond to proposals.
In June, another report commissioned by Liverpool Mayor Joan Anderson found that action could not be taken against 12 expired contracts across various parts of the council’s services, rendering the council’s “best These included an error in the renegotiation of the City’s energy supply contract, which was estimated to cost the City Council £10m. rice field.
In 2021, the government will take several steps after a government report on the council’s highways, regeneration, and property management functions found serious governance problems and “multiple apparent failures” of these functions. Appointed four commissioners to oversee the function.
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Clarke also announced the creation of a new Liverpool Strategic Future Advisory Board to work with government commissioners to “develop a plan for Liverpool’s revival”. The committee is led by Sir Howard Bernstein, former chief executive of Manchester City Council, former leader of Leeds City Council and Baroness Blake, who is another member of the business community, and mayor of Metro in the City of Liverpool area. Steve Rotherham will chair. Mr Rotherham told the BBC that the committee would not run a council but would “advise and provide support in setting strategic long-term plans and priorities”.
Liverpool Mayor Joan Anderson accepted the problems identified by the report and welcomed the creation of an advisory committee, but did not agree that the government’s plan was the solution.
“No further government intervention will solve the problems facing Liverpool City Council,” she said. “These are common problems experienced across local governments.
“We recognize that there are gaps in workforce capacity and capabilities, but this is not unique to Liverpool. Liverpool City Council, under government intervention, has lost talent because people assume they have no freedom to manage or work creatively here. face additional barriers to hiring talented people.
“Liverpool City Council, like all large councils, has been severely affected by years of government cuts. With £10m of funding lost, it is no surprise that there are areas where we can improve our performance.”
The City Council also announced that Teresa Grant, who had been chief executive when Northamptonshire County Council was under government intervention, was appointed interim chief executive in September, replacing Tony Reeves, who resigned in July. announced that he would become
