o   We are incredibly proud that Blackburn with Darwen is a growing borough. Prosperity is a necessary condition of a successful, healthy and thriving place. A strong economy which works for everyone is central to our overarching mission to change people’s lives for the better.

o   As a Council, we have a proven track record of being forward-thinking in delivering growth and we are working hard to unlock Blackburn with Darwen’s potential to be one of the most important economic centres in the North West.

o   Children and young people are this borough’s future. For Blackburn with Darwen to be successful and to continue to prosper, we have to get things right for them.

o   Young people have told us they want every child and young person to have equal opportunities to fulfil their potential. They told us they want Blackburn with Darwen to be a place that is brilliant to grow up in and that there is information, support and guidance available for their transition to adulthood.

o   As a Council, we firmly believe everyone in the community should play their part to unlock every child’s potential. By working together with parents and carers, schools, further education partners, community groups and the wider community, we can ensure there are opportunities for young people to be the best they can be.

o   Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing humanity. It is a matter of grave concern that needs addressing urgently.

o   Blackburn with Darwen Council has declared a climate emergency and set a goal to be carbon neutral.

o   We’ll continue to work with residents and businesses to make sure, as a borough, we are doing all we can to tackle the issue together.

o   By following our Climate Emergency Action Plan, at the end of the four years of this Corporate Plan, we aim to have made significant progress towards delivering on our ambitions.

o   Blackburn with Darwen is a resilient place as has been shown during the pandemic. We are also a friendly and neighbourly place. Hundreds of people in the borough volunteer week in, week out to make the borough better. We will continue to support volunteers and encourage others to get involved.

o   The borough is also home to beautiful parks such as Witton and Sunnyhurst and spectacular green spaces.

o   However, the pandemic has starkly shown the health inequalities that exist here.  We can address some of those challenges through our growth programme by making the borough more prosperous and introducing more quality housing. And we will continue to build on our strong partnership links as working together with others is also vital to addressing health inequalities.

o   Going forward, we know that protecting the most vulnerable in our borough from harm is everyone’s mission. We have effective partnerships in place and we will continue to campaign to highlight the role everyone in the borough can play.