We should all be proud of way we’ve pulled together

THE coronavirus crisis has shown local government, with the way our council has helped co-ordinate the response across the community, at its very best.

Throughout the borough I have been proud of the services that have been delivered to support those most in need.

I pay a heartfelt tribute to the army of carers, council staff, community workers and volunteers who have led the way.

They have shown commitment, dedication and resilience, with their hard work providing a vital lifeline to some of our most vulnerable residents.

As leader of the council I am grateful and humbled by their work. Thank you.

The council took an early decision in this crisis to ensure community hubs were in place to provide a swift response for anyone needing food parcels and other vital support.

I feel we have helped deliver a service we can all be proud of.

In times of crisis, people want to see their council step up and deliver.

We have ensured bins are emptied, roads are repaired, that help is available round the clock, supported our care homes, protected the elderly, communicated important messages, linked up with local businesses and been a visible, reassuring presence in communities.

This has been a challenging time, which is far from over, but I hope people have recognised the role the council has played throughout the crisis.

Whenever the government has asked us to do a job at the local level, we have stepped up and responded, as have local councillors across all parties. And, there is a wider message to take from this.

As the lockdown measures start to ease, in the coming days and weeks, and slowly we start returning to our daily routines, what will be the long-term changes?

I believe that the way local communities deliver services and the way residents purchase them, will change for the better.

We have seen that local is best and as a council, we will continue to deliver our local offer.

As well as encouraging people to shop locally, we will continue to recruit locally and ensure services are bought locally.

The rebuilding of the economy, getting Rochdale open for business, must begin and be led at a local level.

A frustration for me is that central government has not put its faith in councils to deliver.

Time and again we have had to step in.

The food parcel debacle early on in the crisis, when the government’s inadequate supplies failed to impress, underlined this fact.

Our community hubs, located in local townships, stepped in admiringly.

Well done to all our teams.

There are other examples.

Take school meal vouchers - these are still centralised.

Again we stepped in, using Aldi, to provide vital help for our vulnerable residents.

On roads, the Highways Agency showed a lack of flexibility by not allowing us to carry out vital work on Newton Way.

We continue to press for action.

And the Canals and Rivers Trust, responsible for Rochdale Canal, need to do more.

I am sure other ramblers will have noticed the amount of rubbish and lack of bins on the towpath. It’s not good enough. So, a few gripes, but also an underlying emotion of pride in everything frontline staff have delivered.

It is Rochdale united, across all parts of the borough, and that is something to treasure.

I end with my key message - thank you for your work, thank you for following the guidance.

Stay local. Stay safe.