Burnley Council leader looks ahead to 'brighter future' in Christmas message

In his festive address to the public, Coun. Townsend said that even in the darkest days of the pandemic, there had been some real positives, and plenty of signs that Burnley and its people will bounce back quickly.

He also added that while news of the vaccine brought a healthy dose of optimism for 2021, people should continue to follow the restrictions that have been put in place.

"As we approach the Christmas break, it is clear that 2020 has been a very tough year for residents, businesses and other organisations in the town.

"Everyone has had to make significant sacrifices to try and ensure the safety of their loved ones and others in the community, as different restrictions have been put in place.

"At times it has felt that there will never be an end to the Covid pandemic but even in the dark days, there have been some real positives, including the way communities have come together to support each other.

"One great example of this in my view, has been the creation of ‘Burnley Together’, where the council has worked with a range of other partners, including Calico, Burnley FC in the Community, Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale CVS and other voluntary and faith organisations in creating an umbrella organisation that works closely with many of our most vulnerable residents to identify and deliver joined up support for them.

"I also feel that the recent decision by the council to press ahead with Pioneer Place will start to point to a brighter future for the town, as we know we will come out of the pandemic and we need to make sure that Burnley bounces back stronger than ever.

"Diversifying our town centre will be key to creating a strong retail, leisure and service centre for the town.

"I am so pleased that we are starting to see the roll out of the vaccine, as we move towards the final few weeks of the year. This is fantastic news, however, we must all make sure that we do not fall at the final hurdle and continue to follow the restrictions - continue to social distance, wash hands and wear masks to help minimise the spreading of the virus.

"The vaccine is definitely the start of the end from the infection perspective of the pandemic but we know that the fallout of the lost jobs and general health of residents will take longer to fix and that is our focus as we move into 2021. By learning the lessons and continuing to work together Burnley residents and businesses are ready to bounce back quickly and stronger.

"Looking ahead to 2021, we will hopefully be moving to a new normal, which will probably be different to where we were at the start of 2020.

"However, there are lessons I think we have learned during this year, which we need to continue going forward. For example, I think we have all learned the importance of what we have missed – our family, our friends and coming together as a community.

"We have also learned the importance of community spirit and the way organisations have worked together seamlessly in meeting the needs of residents. We have probably adapted to new technology much more quickly than we ever would, if it had not been for the pandemic and this creates new opportunities for us going forward.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all residents for meeting the challenges of the pandemic and, at the same time, wish you all the best for Christmas and for the New Year."