Welcome to Knowsley Council

Dear Applicant

I am delighted that you are interested in the position of Chief Executive at Knowsley Council.

This is a particularly exciting time to join our Council.  We were recently named as the United Kingdom’s “Local Authority of the Year” at the Municipal Journal Awards – that accolade was not only a testament to our hard working and committed workforce but also serves as evidence that our new Chief Executive will be able to build on a strong platform.

We have a clear and ambitious vision to support those in need, develop inclusive skills and growth, and tackle the climate emergency.  This work is underpinned by our well-established Knowsley Better Together principles which unify our Borough’s communities, organisations and businesses to work together to pool ideas, expertise and resources and achieve more than we each could alone.

We have delivered and are continuing to bring forward ambitious growth plans for our Borough, having already constructed the award-winning Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot and delivered a 94,000 feet² Council-owned retail development in Kirkby.  We delivered both of those projects on time and to programme during a time of a global pandemic and while dealing with unprecedented impacts on our services and communities.  Work on improvements in Halewood as part of a £30m masterplan are now also progressing.

We have exceeded our house building targets and delivered over 4,000 new homes in the last five years.  Following decades of decline, our population has increased by 10% in the last ten years.

Significant as they are, these achievements are just a start – we stand ready to deliver plans for a mixed used commercial district and new homes in Huyton Village Centre, we have recently purchased Prescot Shopping Centre, and Kirkby has secured £19.5m of Government funding to be used to address local priorities over the next ten years.

We are also progressing transformational plans in both Adult and Children’s Social Care.  We aim to ensure that our young residents get the best start in life and go on to achieve and succeed but also want to make sure that the best possible services are available for those who need additional support.

The Chief Executive’s role is critical in ensuring Knowsley’s continued success.  Alongside your professional background, we are looking for a Chief Executive who is a strong and dedicated leader, who is able to forge strong relationships with Elected Members, partner agencies, and Stakeholders.  You will need to understand Knowsley as a place which stands up to challenges in terms of deprivation and health inequalities but which is also hugely ambitious.

If you share that ambition for Knowsley, please contact Gatenby Sanderson in the first instance.

I look forward to hearing more about you.

Yours Sincerely

Councillor Graham Morgan, Leader of the Council