Calderdale Council wasting food with plant-based civic event menus
Plus, is the new railway station for Elland FINALLY on track?
Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Calderdale Lead.
We’re halfway through the week and, as an added bonus, it’s the Bank Holiday Weekend this weekend so we all (hopefully) get an extra day to enjoy the delights of the borough and some (hopefully) fine weather!
(‘Hopefully’ is doing a lot of heavy-lifting in this intro isn’t it?)
In today’s edition, we’ve got details about concern over Calderdale Council’s decision to serve plant-based menus at its civic events.
According to a council committee, the menus are not pleasing everyone and the council is wasting a lot of food. We lead on that in today’s edition.
Plus, it’s been in the pipeline for a while but is progress finally being made when it comes to a new railway station at Elland? Find out below!
Council’s decision to serve vegan menus leading to food waste, committee hears
By Andrew Greaves and John Greenwood
Calderdale Council’s decision to serve a plant-based only diet at its official events is leading to ‘a lot’ of food being wasted.
Town hall chiefs agreed two years ago to introduce the no meat or dairy food plans.
At the time, the council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Scott Patient, said although the council did not provide catering for events and meetings very often it should lead by example and encourage other organisations to use locally sourced fruit and veg.
He urged people to “try it, you might like it” but according to comments at the council’s Civic Advisory Panel it is not suiting enough palates and a lot is going to waste.
Chairing the meeting, Cllr Geraldine Carter, who is this year’s Deputy Mayor of Calderdale, told members she had received complaints about the plant-based menus at council catered events.
According to minutes from the meeting, which are sent on to the council’s Governance and Business Committee, which meets next Tuesday, she said it was logistically a problem for the Mayor Cllr Steven Leigh to host visitors on purely plant-based food, and that it had been noted that there was a large amount of food waste following plant-based catered events.
She further commented that did not align with council values of inclusivity as a very small percentage of the national population chose a plant-based diet, according to the minutes.
Cllr Carter suggested that the Mayor be permitted to serve non-plant-based food when providing this out of the Mayoral budget.
Panel members commented that the policy was approved by a majority vote in the council chamber, and it was not within the remit of the Civic Advisory Group to amend it, but it could recommend that adjustments be made to the catering with a view to reducing waste.
The panel members agreed the council’s civic and member support manager be requested to organise scrutiny of the food waste from Annual Council in May 2026 and bring details to the Civic Advisory Group.
Passengers to get peek at progress at new £25m Elland railway station
By Andrew Greaves
Passengers will get a peek at the progress of the new £25m Elland railway station later this month.
The new rail station for Elland is being delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, in partnership with Calderdale Council, and has been in the pipeline for a while now, much to the frustration of commuters.
To support access to the new rail station from Elland town centre and wider areas, including links to and from West Vale, the Council is delivering the Elland Access Package, creating easier and safer walking and cycling connections.
And on August 30, from 9.30am until 3.30pm, a drop-in event is taking place at Elland Community Hub, for people to find out more about the plans for both projects and to speak to the delivery team to ask any questions.
The new rail station for Elland will be built next to the A629 and close to Lowfields Business Park. Detailed designs for the project are now complete and have now been shared with Network Rail for approval.
The accompanying access package will improve walking and cycling access to the new Elland Rail Station. The proposals include:
Two new pedestrian and cycle bridges crossing the River Calder and Calder Hebble Navigation, better connecting Elland, West Vale and surrounding communities with the new station.
Improvements to existing pedestrian routes.
Improvements to the cycle network.
Enhancements for public spaces.
Together, the station and access package will improve access to jobs, education and opportunities. Elland will be more attractive to new businesses and the new links will support existing local businesses.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said: “The new rail station and access package for Elland will transform travel in and around the town, connecting local communities with the station and improving links across the region and beyond.
“Understandably, people are keen to see this work delivered, and we share these ambitions. Along with the Combined Authority we’re working hard to ensure that all the pieces are in place to allow work to begin as soon as possible.
“We’re keen to share the latest plans and the upcoming event in Elland will ensure that people have the opportunity to find out more about both the station and access package projects, and to be able to ask the project teams any questions.”
Cllr Eric Firth, Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said the scheme had overcome ‘significant’ challenges due to inflation, supply chain issues and land acquisition.
But he added: “This is a great opportunity for the public to find out more about these plans and how the new station will help boost economic growth and connectivity across Calderdale and beyond.
“Delivered alongside the walking and cycling improvements, this will make it easier for people travelling around the region on our integrated Weaver Network.”
That’s all for this edition - thanks for reading!
I hope you have a cracking rest of the week and you have something lovely planned for the Bank Holiday weekend. (I’ll be watching Burnley so not sure you could ever describe that as lovely!)
Until Sunday…
Andrew
Plant based food? Great! Plant based ONLY? Bonkers…and the waste will go on until some random report next year? Idiotic!