Liverpool City Council: Highways Improvement Partner

The Challenge 

Liverpool City Council entered formal Government intervention in June 2021. While significant improvements had been made across several areas, further targeted support was required to strengthen service performance and demonstrate sustainable improvement. 

Newtrality was commissioned, alongside Government-appointed Commissioners, to support two core programmes as part of the Council’s journey out of intervention. A key focus area was the Highways service, where complex operational and governance improvements were required to address Commissioner findings and enable the service to move out of statutory intervention. 

The challenge was to translate external recommendations into a practical, deliverable improvement programme, while simultaneously building internal capability to sustain progress beyond intervention. 

Our Approach & Solution 

Newtrality worked closely with the Lead Commissioner and the newly appointed Director to design and implement a structured improvement programme within Highways. 

We began by validating the Commissioners’ findings and working collaboratively with the service to develop a multi-stream improvement programme. This ensured that the improvement plan was grounded in operational reality while directly addressing the areas of concern identified through intervention. 

We developed an integrated plan, alongside reporting and governance arrangements, to enable the Commissioner’s recommendations to be enacted in a structured and transparent way. This provided clarity of accountability, strengthened oversight, and created a clear line of sight between improvement actions and measurable progress. 

Alongside programme design and mobilisation, we focused on developing internal capacity and capability within the service. This ensured ownership of the improvement agenda and supported a transition from compliance-led activity to a sustainable model of continuous improvement. 

The Impact 

As a result of Newtrality’s support: 

• The Highways service successfully moved out of statutory intervention. 

• A continuous improvement approach was embedded within the service. 

• The capital PMO function was strengthened and improved. 

• Backdated savings of over £1m were identified through the resolution of backlogged Green Claims. 

The programme provided the service with greater stability, strengthened governance, and improved financial oversight, supporting Liverpool City Council’s wider journey out of intervention.