Calderdale Council set to get even tougher on anti-social behaviour
Plus, Unions join fight to save Square Chapel Arts Centre
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead.
I hope everyone has had a great weekend- the hot weather has certainly helped it (finally) feel like summer and has offered a great opportunity to get outdoors and see the beauty that the borough has to offer.
In this edition we’ve got details of how Calderdale Council is set to get very tough on those who commit anti-social behaviour across the borough.
It’s all ahead of the national Anti-social Behaviour Awareness Week (it’s OK, I didn’t know there was one either!) which kicks off a week tomorrow.
Plus, we report on a campaign to save (and reopen) a Halifax arts centre which closed its doors abruptly in February.
So, on with the news…
Council set to approve new powers to tackle anti-social behaviour
By Andrew Greaves
Town Hall chiefs are set to celebrate national Anti-social Behaviour Awareness Week by introducing strict new powers to tackle it.
The awareness week gives off a week tomorrow (June 30) and on that day, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve two new measures.
The first is proposing a new legal tool (a Public Space Protection Order, or PSPO) to reduce the anti-social use of vehicles, in response to local people’s concerns.
The other recommends that West Yorkshire Police officers in Calderdale be given the power to issue local authority Fixed Penalty Notice fines for PSPO breaches to reduce on-street anti-social behaviour and environmental nuisance.
Cllr Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said: “People deserve to feel safe and have a good quality of life. We want Calderdale to be a welcoming and thriving place for everyone, where families want to live, the environment is protected, businesses want to invest and visitor numbers are high.
“We know how issues like anti-social behaviour make local people feel, and we’re working hard to stamp it out.”
There is already a lot of work going on across Calderdale, through the Community Safety Partnership, to prevent, challenge and enforce against anti-social behaviour.
Now the Council is getting tougher to reassure communities that action is being taken. It has listened to local people’s concerns about the inconsiderate and intimidating use of motor vehicles, which has a significant impact on how safe they feel when out and about in Calderdale.
The Council has received support, through a recent public consultation, to introduce a PSPO throughout the borough to ban certain vehicle-based behaviour, such as revving engines, playing loud music, driving inconsiderately / causing danger to other road users and pedestrians, racing, damaging property and shouting at / verbally abusing other people.
If Cabinet approves the proposed PSPO, the Council and Police would be able to fine people who breach the order, or even prosecute the worst offenders.
This would also support the ongoing work in Calderdale and across West Yorkshire to improve the safety of women and girls, and to achieve zero road accident deaths and serious injuries in West Yorkshire by 2040 (‘Vision Zero’). The latest figures show that 56% of vehicle collisions resulting in fatality or serious injury were because of careless or reckless behaviours.
To further boost the partnership work to keep Calderdale’s towns and places safe, Cabinet Members will also be asked to allow West Yorkshire Police officers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (fines) for PSPO breaches that cause on-street anti-social behaviour and environmental nuisance.
Currently, only the Council can issue these fines.
If Police officers saw these crimes taking place and could fine people at the time of offending, there would be an immediate consequence for offenders and a strong message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in Calderdale.
Unions take up fight to save Square Chapel Arts Centre in Halifax
By John Greenwood
Calderdale trade unionists are backing performing arts colleagues’ campaign to save a Halifax arts centre which closed suddenly earlier this year.
Calderdale TUC is backing a campaign by Equity, the performing arts and entertainment trades union, and TUC Yorkshire and Humber Creative and Leisure Industries Committee, to save Square Chapel Arts Centre.
As well as launching a petition calling on Calderdale Council and the Arts Council to save the venue, it has organised a public meeting early in July to rally support.
This will take place at Calderdale Industrial Museum on Thursday, July 3, at 7pm.
Speakers from Arts Council England, Calderdale Council and others have been invited and as well as trades unionists the organisers are urging the public to come along.
Pete Keal, Equity trade union delegate to Calderdale TUC, said: “Since closing in February, there have been discussions about the future of Square Chapel between Calderdale Council and Arts Council England.
“It is high time the public had a say over the future of Square Chapel – the voices and support of local people are crucial if Halifax’s arts centre is to succeed and flourish once again.”
The campaign is calling for public involvement in efforts to save this vital community asset, says Calderdale TUC.
It says Calderdale needs a thriving Square Chapel Arts Centre “open and operating for the people of Halifax and surrounding areas.”
Calderdale TUC chair Dan Whittall said: “Square Chapel Arts Centre has hosted local and community performers, musicians and school groups, as well as trades union events.
“As a teacher I’m especially aware of the vital need to defend the arts and to maintain spaces for artistic expression in our communities.
“Calderdale TUC is especially concerned about the impact of the closure of Square Chapel on workers at the arts centre as well as workers whose performances were cancelled as a result of its closure.
“We are proud to support the Save Square Chapel campaign, call on people to sign the petition and join us to share your views at the public meeting,” he said.
Last week Calderdale scrutiny board councillors expressed concern that the centre might be lost to the town and the borough and called for it to be included in an evaluation of Calderdale’s Year of Culture, which ran until the end of April 2025.
The year – dubbed Culturedale – marked the borough’s 50th anniversary.
The petition can be found here.
That’s it for this edition! If you are a fan of the arts then I do urge you to sign the petition above to save Square Chapel Arts Centre because it really is/was a cracking venue.
And don’t forget that if you want to get in touch for any reason at all, the address to do so is calderdale@thelead.uk.
I’ll be back in your inboxes on Wednesday so until then, have a great rest of the weekend!
Andrew