Festive Greetings

At the beginning of the year, I don't think I could ever have envisaged not celebrating Christmas in the traditional way - enjoying the company of family gatherings, exchanging gifts and perhaps one too many festive meals. But, here we are, twelve months into a pandemic that very few of us could ever believe we would witness during our lifetime. So much has changed in such a short time - the way we work, the way we socialise, but most importantly, how we as a community have come together to help those of us who are most vulnerable and in need.

As local councillors, we have seen first-hand the efforts made by so many individuals and charities to ensure their neighbours are safe and cared for and I am sure these acts of kindness have gone a long way in raising our spirits.

At this point a special thanks must also go to the thousands of front line staff - NHS, Fire Service, Police - to name but a few, whose dedication to their duties is something we should all be so proud of and thankful for.

Life at the Council has changed considerably too. Most of our contact is now held 'virtually' and this includes
committee meetings where many important decisions are made. Admittedly, this new way of working has taken a
little getting used to, but from my group's perspective, it has enabled us to continue to represent our residents, be it on planning issues, housing issues, highways problems or through challenging proposals put forward by the
administration where we believe the best interests of the town are not being met.

As 2021 approaches our objectives remain unchanged - we will continue to work with our residents, for our
residents in every way we can. Should you need assistance, at any time, please remember we are only a telephone call or email away.Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas and a brighter, prosperous New Year.

Cllr Barry Aspinell

Leader of Brentwood Liberal Democrats