The Liverpool City Region Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to appoint its Chair and Vice-Chair, nominate members to the Audit and Governance Committee, and review the Q4 performance report for the Combined Authority's Corporate Plan. The committee also discussed and agreed upon the draft work programme for the upcoming municipal year.

Appointment of Chair and Vice-Chair

Councillor Pat Moloney was appointed as the Chair of the Liverpool City Region Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year. Councillor Chris Cooke was appointed as the Vice-Chair.

Appointments to the Audit and Governance Committee

The committee nominated members to sit on the Audit and Governance Committee for the 2026-27 municipal year. The nominations, ensuring political balance, included two Labour councillors, one Liberal Democrat, one Green Party councillor, and one Reform UK councillor, along with their respective substitutes. The finalisation of any outstanding appointments was delegated to the Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Chair.

Q4 2025-26 Performance Reporting

The committee reviewed the Q4 performance report for the Combined Authority's Corporate Plan, which detailed progress against key commitments. Kate Downs, Assistant Director of Evidence, Research and Intelligence, presented the report, highlighting that 86% of planned activities were rated as green, indicating they were on track. Notable achievements were reported across the Economy, People, Place, Transport, and Digital Infrastructure themes.

Several areas were flagged as amber, requiring further work. These included activities supporting the growth of key clusters, refocusing the Borough of Culture programme, investment in electric vehicle charging points, the establishment of a cross-sector homelessness task force, the development of new Merseyrail stations, maximising the benefits of LCR Connect, and using digital assets for responsible AI.

During the discussion, Councillor Helen Cameron sought a breakdown of the businesses supported by the Growth Hub, requesting more transparency on metrics. Councillor Simon Shaw questioned the amber rating for electric vehicle charging points, seeking clarification on whether it indicated a risk of missing the 2028 deadline. Councillor Dr John Pugh raised concerns about the ambition to be the most digitally connected city region, noting that support for key clusters and maximising the benefits of LCR Connect were also rated amber. Councillor Jane Corbett highlighted potential implications for health improvement and health inequalities, and the need to support SMEs and micro-businesses. Councillor Paul Jobson inquired about updates on electric vehicle charging points for terraced streets and the uptake of Merseyrail's tap and go system. Councillor Cameron also raised questions about the progress of the performance management framework and the need for outcome-based KPIs with defined baselines.

Officers provided responses, explaining the procurement process for electric vehicle charging points and confirming that the amber rating reflected a slight delay in the original timeline. Regarding LCR Connect, it was noted that while over 1,100 connections had been made, achieving the target of 3,000 customers presented a challenge due to increased fibre coverage. The committee also discussed the importance of supporting existing businesses, particularly SMEs, and the challenges they face.

The committee ultimately noted the contents of the Q4 performance report and the work delivered to achieve the Corporate Plan priorities. A point was raised by Councillor Cameron to ensure that follow-up actions from the discussions would be tracked.

Work Programme 2026-27

Trudy Bedford, Statutory Scrutiny Officer, presented the draft work programme for the 2026-27 municipal year. The programme outlined various scrutiny activities, including reports for consideration at committee, task and finish groups, knowledge briefings, and site visits.

Councillor Cameron expressed concern about the decision date for the Mersey barrage, noting that locations were not included in the consultation. Councillor Chris Cooke suggested inviting leaders of constituent councils to present to the committee. Councillor Jane Corbett highlighted the importance of pre-decision scrutiny on the Mersey Development Corporation and the need to examine the Equality Act Section 1 and the Marmot City Region commitment.

The committee agreed to consider the draft work programme and authorised the Scrutiny Officer, in consultation with the Chair, to finalise it. Councillor Cameron's request regarding baselines was noted for inclusion in the September meeting.

The meeting concluded with thanks to all attendees and supporting officers.