Liverpool committee backs 28-day exhibition periods, asks for first-week sessions

Liverpool City Council’s Governance Committee has asked staff to come back with options for first-week information sessions during 28-day public exhibition periods, including pop-up events at a local shopping centre.

The request was made at the committee’s meeting on 5 May 2026, which was confirmed on 2 June 2026. The committee noted that public exhibition periods run for 28 days and suggested adding an information session in the first week.

The minutes say the aim is to make it easier for residents to ask questions and get more detail during the exhibition period. The committee also asked the Director Community and Lifestyle to report to the June Governance Committee meeting with ideas, including pop-up sessions at a local shopping centre.

The exhibition discussion was one of several planning and governance items before the committee. Others included the Contributions Planning Framework reform project, an update to the Planning Agreement Policy, Liverpool 2050, draft social media and media policies, and unsolicited proposals to develop commercial offerings.

On the planning framework item, councillors asked staff to advise them of the funds in the Contributions Plan and to provide a list of outstanding capital works from the 2009 plan.

On the Planning Agreement Policy update, the committee asked staff to review whether an external company is needed to monitor negotiations, provide an updated VPA listing to councillors, and reword Item 9.1, Role Separation and Prohibition on Undue Influence.

The committee also received a status update on Liverpool 2050, Council’s long-term strategic vision document to 2050. It noted draft social media and media policies and asked for a report analysing whether people engaging with Council content are residents of the Liverpool Local Government Area or outside it.

In general business, councillors discussed unsolicited proposals to develop commercial offerings and recommended a workshop on the proposals, the sale or lease of community land and assets, the removal of greenspace in its current form, and ways to support the community’s needs.

The same meeting also covered Council’s finances. Members noted that Council held $453.8 million in cash and cash investments at 31 March 2026, with $56.2 million in rates outstanding. Staff were asked to update the final cost of the by-election to include in-house staff costs and related fees.