TRADITIONALLY the so-called 3 Rs have stood for reading, writing and arithmetic. For The Fall, the 3 Rs stood for repetition, repetition, repetition.

Now it’s my turn to define what the phrase means for Bury, as we leave the year-long coronavirus lockdown.

My 3 Rs stand for recognition, recovery and regeneration – all essential if we are to flourish in the post-Covid years ahead.

Throughout this pandemic, social care and schools staff and other public servants have been at the frontline, looking after our elderly and young people. All deserve our grateful thanks, but too many of them have been traditionally undervalued and underpaid.

That’s why I’m proud to announce we will introduce the Real Living Wage for these staff - council and agency workers. The move, phased in over the next two to three years, is a key part of our 2021/22 budget.

Covid has had a significant effect and will continue to do so. We face a £43m shortfall, even after Government support, over the next three years due to lost income and rising costs caused by lockdowns and local restrictions.

But it is imperative we continue to invest in our people and our economy to make sure we can thrive.

Regeneration of our towns is high on our agenda. We have already committed to raising more than £30m to transform the heart of Radcliffe, and masterplans to regenerate Bury and Prestwich town centres are well underway. We also want to produce a bespoke Town Plan for Ramsbottom and will be looking at how we can protect the future of the civic suite there as part of it.

We are also committing a further £6m in a Regeneration Investment Fund to kickstart these projects and attract external investment.

And finally, recovery. We will be setting up two special Recovery Funds, for our communities and local businesses to collaborate with the council to help us build back better.

This will run alongside our commitment to providing free school meals to eligible pupils over the summer holidays, helping struggling families to recover and make ends meet, and a refresh of our hardship fund to support those who are in work but have not been previously eligible for support. We’ll also invest in our green spaces, transport projects, sports facilities, road safety schemes and tackling potholes.

These measures will put Bury on the right track for recovery and regeneration, with suitable recognition for those who have played such a crucial role in getting us to this point.