Liverpool City Council is asking for views on its plans to make the city a fairer place to live.
The aims of the Equality Objectives are to promote fairness and equality, celebrate diversity, stop discrimination and promote good relations between communities.
In asking for views, the council hopes to understand public opinion on the draft objectives, which will be in effect from 2016-2020.
The draft objectives, striving to make Liverpool a ‘strong, diverse city built on fairness’ are:
• Listen, involve and respond to local communities
• Strengthen our knowledge and understanding of our communities
• Consultative and accountable leadership making fair and transparent decisions
• A fair and inclusive employer
• Good quality accessible services, buildings and public spaces
Councillor Nathalie Nicholas, Assistant Cabinet member for fairness, social inclusion and equalities, said: “The city council has made progress in recent years in becoming more representative of Liverpool and working with communities to make sure their voices are heard and they are well supported.
“An independent study last year found that the leadership team at the city council is now the most ethno-culturally diverse among big cities. In addition, we support a number of festivals which promote diversity and the Stop Hate helpline.
“Through the planning process we now require house builders to make new homes more accessible and easier to adapt for older and disabled people.
“We have a corporate access group that considers new buildings and developments in order to take account of the whole population.
“We hold all our public meetings in venues that are accessible to disabled people and have a palantypist to assist people who are deaf or hard of hearing at all full City Council meetings.
“But we know there are some communities in the city that are not having their voices heard, or could be better supported, and that we must do more to make the council’s workforce more representative of the city they represent. That is why this consultation is so important.”
The consultation is taking place until 10 February and can be found here
