As we now move into the next phase, the time for bold and visionary leadership is needed more than ever. For example, the work that is required to open our high streets and how they will be designed for the future takes on a new emphasis and pace, and the network and connection of business will serve us well in ensuring a future economic model is also based on social benefit and resilience alongside profit.
The issues of Brexit and climate change have not disappeared, and the impacts of both will come into much sharper focus with an associated speed of action.
Digital connectivity has ensured many of us have still been able to work and connect with our family and friends. This has showed the importance of the network for future resilience and growth. The impact on future transport models will surely be significant.
How we make a positive impact on many of these areas will be based on our relationships with communities, politicians, Whitehall and other key stakeholders. The ability to join up these often disparate bodies will be key to unlocking our future potential.
The move from emergency to recovery will require a new set of skills and knowledge, many of them based in town halls across the country. At both political and officer level, the need to understand the new state of our communities will be an immediate imperative. Baselines for this type of emergency are difficult to find, and local knowledge will help provide this data and find the true sense of place.
District councils are already planning for the future. They have proven time and again their agility, responsiveness and efficiency in the face of adversity and they stand ready once again to face the future with confidence and optimism.
Lawrence Conway is chief executive of South Lakeland DC
