CITY leader Cllr Warren Bradley used his New Year’s Message to give assurances the council “will not be taking its foot off the gas” in 2010.

He said Liverpool had achieved much in the last year, but that there would be no resting on laurels.

At the same time, Lord Mayor Cllr Mike Storey used his message to reinforce the importance of remembering Armed Forces personnel from Liverpool who had fought – and in some cases died – while serving their country over the last 12 months.

But while Cllr Bradley and Cllr Storey reflected on the positive achievements of the last year, opposition leader Cllr Joe Anderson said there was still much work to be done.

Cllr Bradley said: “As we look back over the last year, it is clear that we need not have feared that 2009 would be a damp squib following the huge success of Capital of Culture in 2008.Š

“It placed us in a strong position to weather the recession, with the latest visitor numbers, employment figures and economic statistics showing Liverpool is out-performing the rest of the region and the country.

“As a city we want to build on our success and are not taking our foot off the gas as we head into 2010. So there is much to look forward to over the coming 12 months.

“With all of this going on – and more besides – it is little wonder the Audit Commission have judged that the council is performing well, making us the most improved local authority in the country.

“We will continue our drive to improve the communities around the city with housing developments and district centres that local people want.