Liverpool City Council pledges reforms after damning report

The proposals could see a reduction in the number of councillors and wards by 2023

Liverpool City Council has outlined its next steps following a damning report into failings at the authority.

Government-appointed commissioners will oversee parts of its operations after Parliament was told inspectors found a "serious breakdown of governance".

The authority's plan will see the regeneration department restructured within six months and changes made to the highways operations within a year.

The proposals could also see a reduction in the number of councillors.

In a joint statement, acting mayor Wendy Simon and chief executive Tony Reeves said there was a "collective commitment from both councillors and officers to learn from the failings highlighted in this report".

They said the council needed "to rebuild trust", but added that it was "reassuring that the inspector believes we have made progress in starting to deliver the wholesale changes needed".

"A detailed improvement plan is being drawn up and will be implemented in full," they added.

"We will be open and transparent about the progress we are making on each of the recommendations."

The council has committed to making several changes over the next three years, including:

• Restructuring the regeneration department and improving transparency around decision-making within the next six months

• Changing highways operations, contract commissioning and audit and governance rules within a year

• Putting in new governance for the council's wholly-owned companies within two years

The council has also committed to moving to a system of all-out elections every four years and "a potential reduction of councillor number and wards from 2023", a spokesman said, though local and mayoral elections will take place as planned on 6 May.