Liverpool City Council is set to take full control of essential environmental services, including waste collection, street cleansing and park maintenance.
Since 2016, front-line services have all been delivered by the Council-owned subsidiary company, Liverpool Streetscene Services Ltd (LSSL).
However, a new report to the Council’s Cabinet, which meets on Tuesday 12 November, is recommending that staff from LSSL be brought back under the direct control of the Council to deliver a year-round environmental programme for residents and businesses.
The City Council said the recommendation has been influenced by responses from its annual residents’ survey, in which the cleanliness of the city was identified as their number one priority.
Liverpool’s recycling rate is currently the second lowest in the country, just 17.9% of household waste was reused, composted, or recycled in 2022/23, according to the City Council.
I want to be crystal clear that this is no reflection on the staff at LSSL, who have consistently delivered tremendous work.
The City Council said the decision is part of a wider drive to improve the city’s low recycling rates and to strengthen environmental enforcement action and will have no direct impact on the collection of household waste.
Subject to Cabinet approval, the process of transferring LSSL Staff will take place over the next year and is due to be completed by 31 October 2025.
Commenting on the decision, Council Leader, Councillor Liam Robinson said: “This recommendation is a clear example of Liverpool City Council listening to residents about what issues they most want to see sorted, and looking at ways to continually evolve and improve.
“Insourcing is not a decision we have taken lightly, but there is clear evidence that having all of our environmental services under one roof can create positive benefits and outcomes for the City’s residents.
“I want to be crystal clear that this is no reflection on the staff at LSSL, who have consistently delivered tremendous work.
“This move is about the Council prioritising and putting in place the right conditions to drive innovation and efficiency across our services, bringing direct benefits to the people of Liverpool who depend on them.”
