New film reflects on past year in the borough

Blackburn with Darwen Council has produced a new short film reflecting on the borough’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and asking residents what they would like to see the local authority prioritise in future.

The film will be premiered at tonight’s annual Policy Council meeting (Thursday, December 2nd.)

The meeting gives Council leaders the opportunity to outline key national and local policy challenges and proposals, reflect on the local authority’s performance over the last year and look ahead to 2022.

The film will be released publicly in two parts following the meeting.

Part one shows how the whole borough came together and did their bit to try and combat the virus, how the Council kept essential services going, protected the most vulnerable and continued delivering for residents and businesses. It depicts how, although the virus’ threat remains, thanks to the vaccine and residents, we’re now in a better place. It also shows all the positive things happening locally and the big agenda items the Council will be working on in 2022.

The second part finds residents, business owners and young people from across the borough discussing the kinds of things they would like to see the Council prioritising in future.

This question on future priorities will form part of a major programme of engagement during 2022 – also due to be announced at Policy Council – with residents, businesses and partners, as the Council looks to refresh its corporate plan, which lays out its priorities for being the best it can possibly be.

Policy Council will also provide an opportunity to endorse the borough’s bid for city status for Blackburn as well as update on plans to create a Covid-19 memorial for the borough.

The meeting will be live-streamed for the public. Tune in here.

 Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

Policy Council is one of our key meetings every year where we can reflect on our journey over the past 12 months and look to the future. The short film we have produced does an excellent job of showcasing all of that.

Ahead of the meeting I would like to once again place on record my thanks to everyone in the borough for their response to the difficult times we have collectively faced over the last 20 months. And as a Council I am proud of what we have delivered and proud how we have risen to the challenges presented by Covid-19.

Of course, developments over the last few days with the new variant are worrying but I am still confident there are brighter days ahead.