THE first meeting of the local strategic partnership to respond to the task force findings on the Burnley riots will meet on January 29.

Among the many conclusions of the report was that many of the problems were the responsibility of more than just on organisation and so the partnership needed to take charge to ensure the recommendations were acted on.

The partnership has now been agreed by Burnley Council, Lancashire County Council and the NHS among others and is supported by Burnley MP Peter Pike.

It includes leading figures from businesses, community and voluntary organisations, faith organisations and ethnic minority organisations as well as elected councillors and public service managers.

Some of its key aims are to involve young people, reduce bureaucracy and focus on action, not just discussion.

The partnership will meet in public and will hold meetings and events in different locations. As well as responding to the recommendations, the partnership will be responsible for creating a community plan for Burnley and Padiham and for organising major changes in the ways in which local public services are provided.

The task force, chaired by Lord Tony Clarke, spent four months investigating the disturbances in Burnley in June and issued 15 recommendations.

These included: that Government should respond to calls to reimburse the cost of the troubles; that the Commission for Racial Equality reconsider its decision to withdraw resources; community leaders among Ethnic minority groups should examine ways to find common ground and build bridges to promote inclusion within the town and the Government should review its dispersal programme for asylum seekers.