A YEAR ago this weekend Burnley erupted in some of the worst racial violence ever seen in the town.
For three days police struggled to contain the troubles as they kept Asian and white troublemakers apart.
Nick Evans looks at the 15 recommendations made by the Task Force and finds out what has been achieved in the 12 months since the riots and what still needs to be done...
HERE are the 15 recommendations made by the Task Force and the progress made on them in the past 12 months.
1 Form a strategic partnership to oversee action arising from the task force.
Action: The first meeting of the partnership, which is made up of leading figures from businesses, community and voluntary organisations, faith organisations and ethnic minority organisations as well as elected councillors and public service managers, was held on January 29.
2 Planning for future disturbances.
Action: There has been a review meeting between Burnley Council, the police and Lancashire County Council emergency planning to agree protocol for intelligence handling, liaison arrangements and future roles should any similar problems occur in the future.
3 Housing, including Government reviewing dispersal programme for asylum seekers, making more money available to improve housing in the town and taking action on derelict properties.
Action: East Lancashire has been given £670million for housing renewal over ten years and already has more than £2million after Burnley was designated part of the Government's "Pathfinder" project for dealing with derelict houses.
The council is developing an Operation Clean-up initiative with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to tackle derelict properties and rubbish build-up.
4 Community relations. Improving communication about why funding is targeted to specific areas. Improve race relations work and help ethnic minority leaders need to overcome internal divisions and encourage all sections of the community to debate openly.
Action: A review of what funding is available to what areas and why has already been produced and the council is encouraging its partners to provide more and better information Representations are being made to the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) for assistance with race relations work. An interfaith group called Building Bridges has been set up to strengthen existing relationships.
Three community conferences have already been held, attended by more than 200 people, to debate key issues and an annual community convention has been agreed.
Burnley Borough Council are in the final stages of drafting a racial equality scheme.
5 Community and voluntary sectors. Introduce consultation and restructuring in particular to involve young people and women.
Action: Discussions are already taking place with Lancashire County Council to take this forward. Already a young people's prospectus has been produced, there is local representation on the National Youth Parliament and a Teen Zone initiative has started.
6 Burnley Council -- need for Government funding to cover cost of disturbances and a more comprehensive communications unit. Improve relations with Lancashire County Council.
Action: Lancashire Police are to be given £600,000 towards the cost of policing the operation and Burnley Council has received confirmation its £77,000 bill for the operational costs of the task force is to be covered by the Home Office.
7 Regeneration, develop a neighbourhood renewal strategy for the borough as a whole use regeneration funding to support white and ethnic minority communities. Recognition that Burnley is a town with inner city problems.
Action: Burnley Action Partnership has developed a neighbourhood renewal strategy looking at new and existing regeneration programmes are now being assessed to ensure all communities benefit.
8 Economy -- strategies need to support the manufacturing base as well as new industry and help should be targeted to most deprived communities.
Action: Meetings have been organised with the North West Development Agency and the learning and skills council and specific actions will be proposed for the borough's economic development strategy action plan in the coming year. The green light has been given for the NWDA to develop a technology centre on the former Michelin site. Daneshouse Access Point is being reviewed to see how it can be improved to meet the needs of the users.
9 Burnley police, provide a direct drugs line for information to be passed on and better co-ordination with social services about young people at risk.
Action: A bid for the drugs line has been made and a response is expected shortly. The police is working with social services but
10 The media should develop fair strategies for reporting issues which could lead to racial tensions.
Action: Constructive meetings have been held with editors and editors' representatives and there are plans for regular meetings with all media and joint working where possible.
11 Education, tackle issues of race and culture at primary school level and review the system of allocating school places.
Action: A spokesman for LCC said: " We are dealing with the views of children in many different and hopefully innovative ways. We are also going to address some of the issues specifically through the in-service training programme to help teachers devise strategy work which will work with the issues. We are also arranging activities out of school hours to help bring communities together in an inter-racial setting." The system of allocating places is currently being looked at.
12 Youth and community -- LCC to recruit more minority ethnic youth workers and improve exchange visits. More Government and lottery funding for youth work to tackle race and culture issues, more emphasis on multi-cultural events.
Action: There is a long term plan to recruit more youth workers and it is being built into future planning. The Easter programme for young people received a £100,000 Home Office grant to diversify activities. The Shout programme of activities has been introduced from an idea generated by the young people on the task force working with young people from all communities towards multicultural events.
13 Crime and disorder -- Burnley Community Safety Action Partnership should prioritise action to reduce drug-related crime and sale of alcohol to minors.
Action: The crime and disorder reduction strategy which will go to the Government office in the North West by the end of March has spotlighted drugs and juvenile drinking as a top priority.
14 Taxi and private hire industry, road users to be treated equally.
Action: Burnley Council is finalising a scheme to introduce CCTV cameras into taxis to ensure the safety of drivers. The Burnley Against Night-time Disorder initiative has also been extended to cover vandalism and attacks on cabs so people committing offences are banned from the town centre pubs and clubs.
15 The task force continue to hold talks with Home Secretary David Blunkett over compensation claims.
Action: Lord Clarke has presented information to the Home Secretary who is considering it.
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