Agenda item

Leader's Remarks

Minutes:

The Leader, Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, commented on the unprecedented times that everyone was now living through which was the most difficult year he had ever known since being on the Council.  He wanted, therefore, at this Annual Council meeting to:

 

·         express to Members his thanks for their commitment and dedication to their role which they had had to learn to undertake differently over the last seven months. 

·         place on record his thanks to all staff for the hard work and dedication they had shown throughout the year but particularly during this period of Covid-19.  Indeed many of them had also put themselves at risk and in harms way during this time

·         thank the Chief Executive and the Senior Leadership Team for their professionalism, knowledge and hard work and leadership they had given during these unprecedented changes that had been made to keep the Council functioning effectively

·         thank the Mayor, Councillor Markham, for all the work she had undertaken in the last 18 months.  When she had commenced this role, no one could have imagined the changes that had been required to be made and indeed even today changes had urgently been required following the closure of the Town Hall.  She had undertaken all of this with good humour, objectivity and fairness and she had gone over and above what people should have to do

·         thank the people of Barnsley for coming together in the hardest of times to make sure that the communities survived in such difficult times

 

Barnsley was, however, moving on to a new phase of Covid-19 on Saturday 24th October, 2020 but there was no doubt in his mind that the Council and the Town would get through this period as well.  He knew that people would come together and despite all the hardship he still felt that everyone should remain optimistic.  The Authority was still planning for the 2030 Vision and not only was the Council recovering and maintaining its services it was still continuing to improve them.  The economy was recovering and was continuing to be built as this was crucial to everyone’s future.  The Council was going to ‘build it back better’ which would mean that there would be jobs and housing for Barnsley people, there would be a sustainable economy and an environment of which people could be proud. 

 

He stressed that everyone should be proud of the history of the town and be optimistic for the future.  This aspiration started here today at the Annual Council meeting.

 

In summing up he again placed on record a huge thanks to everyone that had been involved, the Mayoral Team who had helped the retiring Mayor and would help the incoming Mayor, all staff of the Authority, the Senor Management Team who had given the Authority the security and knowledge that all appropriate procedures and processes were in place.  He hoped everyone would keep safe and well in the months and years ahead.

 

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