10 priorities for the first 18 months

  1. Improving the council

    Delivery of both the Commissioner’s Improvement Strategy and Council’s Strategic Improvement Plan resulted in Commissioner-led intervention ending in June 2024. To provide oversight of ongoing improvement an independent Improvement and Assurance Board ran until Spring 2025. The independent chair commented that the council has made “significant and substantial improvements”.

    The council is now in a mature enough position to manage its own continuous improvement and a dedicated sub-committee of Cabinet, an Improvement Committee, will commence in June 2025.

  2. Children’s Services

    Multiple Ofsted monitoring visits have taken place since the May 2023 inspection focusing on different areas of children’s social care. The feedback reports have consistently recognised the ongoing improvements made.

    A new children’s home, Sandfield Lodge, opened in December 2024 and Department for Education Funding has been secured for another to further increase the council’s direct provision of residential care placements. 

    Five Family Hubs have been launched across the city focusing on parenting support, early education, infant feeding, and perinatal mental health. 

  3. Economic growth

    A draft Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy was approved by Cabinet in December 2024 for public consultation and a delivery plan is in development.

    A regeneration partnership, Imagine, was established in May 2025, which was one of the key recommendations from the Liverpool Strategic Futures Panel (LSFP). The partnership will act as ambassadors and advisers to help give confidence to investors, landowners, developers and occupiers in the reshaping of the city’s economic landscape.

  4. Neighbourhood working

    Neighbourhood managers were recruited in early  2024 for all 13 neighbourhoods and have built connections with communities and partners. Neighbourhood action plans have been developed with partners, elected members and community stakeholders, and priorities have been identified specific to each area.

    Teams around the Neighbourhood (TANs) are working towards achieving these priorities. A multi-agency Neighbourhood Delivery Group was established in November 2024 to embed neighbourhood working and align council and partner priorities to achieve positive outcomes for communities.

  5. Net Zero

    Realising Net Zero Grant funding of £3.7m (£2.4m to LCC) is helping to resource a strategic sustainability team and specialists to work with the council and partners to develop scalable blueprints for Liverpool to achieve net zero targets. Plans are being developed to connect the council-owned Cunard building to a district heat network, removing 80,000 tonnes of emissions from the site.

    Liverpool has become the world’s first UN  ‘Accelerator City’ for climate change, recognising Liverpool’s impressive commitment to innovation and smart regulation to rapidly decarbonise the live music and TV/Film production sectors;

  6. Housing

    A Housing Strategy was approved by Cabinet in December 2024 and progress is being made on delivering the actions. The council continues to build relationships with Registered Providers with 382 affordable homes completed since April 2023 and 767 on site.

    More than 4,500 housing units have been approved since May 2023, around 19% of which are affordable. Transformation of the council’s Housing Solutions service is continuing with significant investment in staff and delivery of a prevention led service with a focus on reducing the length of time in temporary accommodation. 

  7. Addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

    A three-year Domestic Abuse Strategy was launched in October 2024 to tackle domestic abuse and challenge those who perpetrate it. A Domestic Homicides Reviews (DHR) steering group was established in 2023 and six DHR learning events were delivered.

    CCTV in the city centre has been enhanced in 2024/25 building upon Safer Street funding used to improve key areas associated with Violence Against Women and Girls, including student bus routes. Additional funding has been provided for anti-spiking kits as part of city centre training in collaboration with the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign

  8. Cost of Living

    In 2024/25 LCC’s Benefits Maximisation Service increased income for the most vulnerable households by £9.7 million, a 7% increase from the previous year. The 2025/26 budget committed to increasing the size of the team by 50% to provide further help.

    LCC’s Local Welfare Provision scheme (LCSS) has  supported residents through Home Needs Awards and Urgent Needs Awards. The Council has also maximised the impact of the Household Support Fund by working closely with third sector organisations to ensure targeted assistance reaches those most in need. The Council has facilitated a series of workshops with local partnership groups to develop strategies that mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. 

  9. Devolution and Partnerships

    The council led an expansion of the Liverpool Strategic Partnership and developed the Liverpool 2040 framework in collaboration with partners to set a long-term vision and outcomes for the city. The council has played a key leadership role in delivering on the LSFP recommendations around Public Service Reform (PSR). This includes the North Liverpool Prototype, to test whether Liverpool as a system can deliver a data led multi-agency response to a complex issue, and working with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to inform how a future Office for Public Service Innovation (OPSI) could support best practice and on developing an investable PSR proposition.

    Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will receive an integrated settlement from 2026 – a consolidated budget across local transport, housing, growth and place, employment support and buildings retrofit. 

  10. Major events

    Research commissioned into on the impacts of Eurovision 2023 concluded that Liverpool has revolutionised the hosting of the contest and demonstrates the Eurovision effect continues to be felt more than a year on in terms of the boost to visitor numbers and the local economy. The city has continued to attract major events including BBC Radio One Big Weekend in May 2025, the World Boxing Championships 2025 and as a host city for Euro 2028. The Council has been working closely with the Liverpool Visitor Economy Partnership on a Major Events Strategy that will help to further maximise the social, cultural, sporting, and economic impact of events across the city region.