Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet met at Town Hall this evening 16 September, working through an agenda that ranged from tackling child poverty to the future of the city’s waterfront.
The meeting opened on a proud note, with the Leader reflecting on a standout few weeks for Liverpool.
Queen Camilla recently visited Spellow Library, seeing firsthand the work done to restore it for the community, meeting staff and emergency services who played a key role there, and donating further books following her 2024 gift. The Prince and Princess of Wales also visited the Hill Dickinson Stadium last week to launch the On Your Side project, supporting young people to have difficult conversations around mental health.
The Leader also welcomed news of a new partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Trust to take forward a vision for Croxteth Park, and confirmed the government’s overnight visitor levy, long campaigned for by the city, will now be devolved to Liverpool.
Closer to home, there was good news too on the council’s new apprenticeship scheme, which has already attracted more than 400 applications from young people across the city.
Tackling child poverty head on
One of the key decisions of the night came on the Family Hub Child and Family Poverty Support programme.
Cabinet approved £1.1 million in funding for Citizens Advice Liverpool, delivered through Family Hubs in neighbourhoods across the city. The funding will focus on three things: boosting family income, driving down the cost of essentials and strengthening local support for families. The aim is to help families build financial resilience, maximise their income and access the advice and support they need.
Cabinet Member Cllr Harry Doyle put it plainly in this video. The funding will help families access advice and support through their local Family Hub, at a time when household budgets continue to face pressure. Watch now.
North Docks regeneration takes a major step forward
Cabinet also approved support for the establishment of a Liverpool North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation, a move that could unlock one of the biggest regeneration opportunities in the country. The MDC is designed to bring together investment, partners and powers to accelerate development across the North Docks and waterfront, an area already seeing significant regeneration activity.
A public consultation carried out over the summer by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority saw more than 500 residents and organisations take part, with strong support for the proposal. The ambition is to speed up development, support investment and business growth, improve infrastructure and connectivity, and create jobs and opportunities for local people. The proposal will now continue through the formal approval process with the Combined Authority and Government.
Better Care Fund plan approved
Cabinet approved the revised Better Care Fund plan for 2026/27, setting out expenditure plans agreed between the Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.
The plan supports joined-up health and social care, helping people manage their health in the community, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and receive the right care when they return home.
Anfield Village regeneration nears completion
Members approved the transfer of 14 garden and driveway plots in Anfield Village to the residents living next to them. The plots were created as part of a wider regeneration programme that saw derelict properties cleared and replaced with greener, more attractive streets and public spaces.
The transfer gives residents permanent ownership of their gardens and driveways, bringing a key part of the Anfield regeneration programme to a close.
Keeping the city running
A number of operational decisions also went through. Cabinet approved a new three-year contract with Canon UK for the Council’s Printroom, which handled 7.5 million pages and 1.9 million items of mail last year. The deal is expected to save the Council more than £5,000 a year.
Members also approved a contract worth up to £700,000 with Insight Direct (UK) Limited to refresh the core network switches at Liverpool Experience Campus, ahead of the current hardware reaching the end of manufacturer support. The refresh will help keep the network secure, resilient and supported.
A new contract to run the digital system behind the city’s Lifestyles leisure centres was also approved, covering memberships, bookings and payments for the next five years from 2027.
Cabinet also received an update on the Council’s financial position as part of its ongoing monitoring, covering month eight of the 2025/26 financial year.
Watch the full Cabinet meeting back via the Council’s webcast here.
