Blueprint to transform Council services

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 to 2025 outlines a vision for a trusted, inspirational 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 4th 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. The plan identifies the priorities and actions over the next 3 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 8 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 5 key areas:-

1. Becoming financially resilient - focusing on financial stabilisation in year 1 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Becoming a better run organisation - improving and reducing the cost of services by finding smarter ways to lis 10 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.

5. 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.

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.

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.

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. 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 1st 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 1 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 5th most visited destination in the UK before the Pandemic. Liverpool's global brand, its quality culture, sport, leisure, hospitality and retail offer remain 1st class. 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."¯

You can read the Council's Plan by clicking in this link:- Liverpool.Gov.UK/CouncilPlan.
 

DfT launches UK SHORE to take maritime 'back to the future' with green investment

THOUSANDS of ships, cruises and vessels will become greener and cleaner with ₤206 million investment to support zero emission sailing and skilled maritime jobs, as part of the Government's Shipbuilding Strategy. Taking steps to cement the UK's role as a world leader in shaping the future of transport, the Government will create its 1st office purely dedicated to making maritime greener, a pioneering new research and development of technology which could make journeys by sea as green as they were hundreds of years ago. Known as the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE), the new unit will be housed in the Department for Transport, building on the success of the UK's Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) launched last year. Dedicated to creating a world free from shipping emissions, UK SHORE will implement a comprehensive R&D programme, including a multi year clean maritime demonstration competition, and will work in partnership with industry to tackle supply and demand issues with ship building and help build greener vessels from cruises, to tankers to and leisure boats.

UK SHORE will also help develop the infrastructure to enable zero emission technologies, and the physical infrastructure needed to power these new age vessels. The programme will include a multitude of technologies including hydrogen, electric and ammonia, and this funding will place the UK among the leading nations in the development of new and innovative vessels and port infrastructure, supporting its rich maritime industry and coastal communities. Funding under UK SHORE will re-launch manufacturing hotspots across the UK, creating new skilled jobs and opportunities while levelling up local economies.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:- "Climate change is a global challenge and it's essential that, with our maritime sector's rich history of green travel, dating back thousands of years, we tackle shipping emissions. I want UK-SHORE to take the industry back to the future. The age of the sail was the 1st green maritime age; new technology will bring us to a second green age. And as we turn the tide for green shipping, I can't wait to see thousands of new jobs created around the country too "from masterful shipbuilding to the high tech sailors of tomorrow."¯

Following the highly successful CMDC round in 2021, the extension of the competition will boost the UK's position as a world leader in zero emission vessel technologies. Details of the funding will be revealed in the coming months and it will be open to a range of UK innovators "from small businesses to Universities.

The Maritime Minister announced the new funding today in Southampton docks and said:- "We are building a green maritime legacy for generations to come. This is the biggest single investment in green shipping in the past hundred years, and is a further demonstration that the Government is committed to working with the sector to develop the green shipping technologies of tomorrow."¯

Reiterating the Government's commitment to wiping out carbon emissions from transport, the funding boost is a major step towards the UK Government's aim for all vessels to be zero emission by 2050, and signals a green industrial revolution that will transform the shipbuilding enterprise into a technological powerhouse, strengthening the UK industry's competitiveness. The Government will deliver this ambitious programme in parallel with regulatory changes, ensuring a strategic approach to the transition to zero emission shipping as the Government continues to implement its Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

Maritime UK CEO, Ben Murray, said:- "We've always been an island of maritime pioneers, and this investment will ensure this will long continue, by helping the UK develop its role as a global centre for maritime decarbonisation. The establishment of UK-SHORE, and extension of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, can enable us to create the innovative green solutions at home, and in turn, export these across the world. And this will create new jobs across our coastal communities, helping them realise their potential of becoming green engines for economic growth. Maritime UK and its members will be working more closely than ever with Government to ensure these ambitions are met."¯

UK SHORE will deliver a suite of interventions inspired by our experience of decarbonising other transport modes. It will look at programmes such as the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, transforming the UK into a global leader in the design, manufacture and operation of clean maritime technology.