Council leader looks back at 2020

Like the rest of the UK, Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the borough with the virus claiming hundreds of lives, putting pressure on stretched health services, hitting businesses hard through forced closures as the population went into strict lockdown.

For Walsall Council, it has meant many services have been halted – resulting in a loss of income – while the need to balance the books in the face of decreasing budgets remains.

But despite the tough times, Councillor Bird said he was proud how the council and those in the community have responded in the crisis.

And with the vaccine developed, he also remains cautiously optimistic for a better 2021 as the town looks to rebuild.

Councillor Bird said: “It is often said 2020 vision is perfect. Well this 2020 has certainly not been that. Far from it, in fact.

“I think everybody has seen a complete change in the way they live their life which will continue going forward. Whether that be social distancing, which has become part of the vocabulary, mask wearing, loss of life.

“It’s been an awful year for everyone. But it has also been a challenge which many have risen to.

“I’ve seen some amazing work going on in the voluntary sector, some amazing work and services delivered by the council.

"I’ve been quite proud at how the resilient communities model in Walsall has worked.

“There is a great sense of pride from myself and the administration to see how people have reacted to an unprecedented call upon their time, commitment, their empathy – all of that going together has, I hope, seen us coming towards the end of a very difficult period in time.

“Looking forward into 2021, we are all very hopeful this vaccine will bring an end to this pandemic.

“But the phrase I have to use is we are now going forward living with Covid. It’s not gone away and the vaccine is not a panacea of all ill.”

Decisions taken by his administration during the pandemic haven’t been popular with all across Walsall, such as the decision not to reopen libraries as other local authorities had done after the first lockdown.

But Councillor Bird said it was vital to ensure people were safe before turning their attention to ‘getting back to normal’.

He said: “I’ve had a lot of abuse on emails. You have to make decisions which are unpleasant and very unacceptable to the people out there who have to suffer the effects of those decisions.

“But sadly, until this virus is under control, people’s lives continue to be at risk and services from the council have been curtailed.

“I’ve done this for just over 40 years now and I have to say it has been wearing on me. Being the leader during a pandemic is worrying, challenging and sometimes exciting. It is all of those things.

“Life has taken a different turn. People who are older have seen a dramatic change while children will see a different world because they are born into it.

“When the world has become a better place when this virus is, I hope, under control, then effectively the next stage is to look at the economy.

“The economy will recover, however long that will take. But sadly, for people who lose their lives it’s terminal. And that’s where we have to make a judgement on priorities.”

Councillor Bird added he would continue to press Government to make good on the promise to repatriate Walsall Council pound for pound for what has been spent fighting Covid.

And he said 2021 would see a greater need to support statutory services such as children’s services, adult social care and looking after the elderly.

He said: “Local government has always been a challenge and going forward we’ve got 2021/22, we’ve got a deficit of approximately £35m but we will be looking at how we can balance the books.

“It just means next year is a little more challenging than most.”

Aside from the continued battle against coronavirus, the authority will be looking to press on with regeneration projects.

These include clearing up of the Phoenix 10 site to enable the development of industrial units to create hundreds of jobs and to continue work to create new railway stations at Willenhall and Darlaston.

A raft of housing schemes are also underway or set to get underway across the borough while residential development will be a key factor in the town centre regeneration.

Councillor Bird said: “Now we’ve got to look at the recovery and reset. It will be a slow recovery but it will be a sustainable.

“I think 2021 will see, hopefully, some light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it’s not a train coming the other way.

“I think the vaccine gives us new hope to return back to somewhere near normal. I think everyone is pinning their hopes to that.

“But my plea to the people out there is Christmas is just around the corner, be sensible then so you can enjoy Christmases in the future.”