Fresh traffic hell for Calderdale drivers as main route set to close again
Plus: Halifax fans want to force debate on future of The Shay
Hello and welcome to your weekend edition of The Calderdale Lead!
We start this week’s newsletter with some bad news for motorists and business owners between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge - Halifax Road is being closed again!
We’ve got full details below and - spoiler alert - it doesn’t make happy reading.
And we’ve got details of a petition that FC Halifax Town fans are raising to try and force a full council debate on the history of The Shay stadium.
Councillors are due to decide what to do with the ground at a meeting in March but fans want to be able to have their say before they do.
The link to sign the petition - should you wish to do so - is also included below.
So, with that in mind, on with the news…
Not again! Todmorden-Hebden Bridge route to close… just three weeks after re-opening
The main route between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge is to close again - just three weeks after re-opening.
Yorkshire Water are having to carry out repairs on another section of broken sewer on Halifax Road, starting next Friday (February 14).
It is on the same stretch of road that was closed for more than a month over Christmas and New Year to allow emergency work to take place.
This time, Yorkshire Water say the closure is needed to repair another section of sewer and improve the resilience of the wider section of sewer that runs under the road by reinforcing it with a structural liner.
The work will involve lining the section of sewer 65metres upstream of where it was damaged before Christmas and help prevent further issues from happening with the sewer in future.
James Harrison, head of customer field services at Yorkshire Water, said: “We absolutely understand the impact this closure will have following the closure of the same road in recent months but we want to make sure our sewer is as resilient as possible to reduce the likelihood of this happening again in future.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we will be working as hard as possible to complete the work and remove the road closure as soon as possible. We will be working hard throughout the work to support the local residents and businesses, which includes arranging a shuttle bus for the duration of the work.”
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said: “We know this isn’t the news anyone in the upper valley of Calderdale wanted to hear and I completely understand there will be concern about what this additional closure means for people living, working and travelling in the area.
“We want to reassure everyone affected that we’re working with Yorkshire Water to ensure the road is reopened as soon as possible.”
Yorkshire Water’s contractors will be working 24 hours a day from the evening of February 14 until Monday, February 17 to complete the repair, which will require excavating the 3.6m deep sewer.
The lining work is then expected to take a number of days from February 17 and will take place between 8am and 5pm to reduce the noise impact and allow the lining work to set.
The road will be closed throughout this time, and no concrete timescale has been given for the completion of the work.
Yorkshire Water has arranged for a shuttle bus in the area to minimise disruption as much as possible. They also say a fully signed diversion route will be in place to manage traffic in the area.
Halifax Town fans hope petition can force council debate on The Shay future
By LDRS’ John Greenwood
A football club’s supporters worried about the future of their team’s stadium hope enough people will sign a petition to trigger a council debate about a potential sale.
Fans of FC Halifax Town are hoping to collect 2,000 signatures on a petition to force Calderdale Council to hold a debate on the future of their home, The Shay.
Two professional teams, football’s FC Halifax Town and rugby league’s Halifax Panthers use the Shay, but a budget decision taken last year saw cash-strapped Calderdale Council announce it sought to divest itself of responsibility for running the stadium.
They began talks with both clubs but in January it was announced Huddersfield Giants owner Ken Davy wanted to buy The Shay and move his club to play there until they built a new stadium of their own.
An alternative proposal from a group of fans that it is run by an independent, not-for-profit trust is also on the table.
Senior councillors are due to choose which option they want to take at a key council Cabinet meeting at Halifax Town Hall in March.
Mr Davy has said he will fund improvements to the ground to bring it up to Super League standard, but a combination of grant funding and interest free loans from him to both clubs would be used to pay for a new pitch.
Drainage has been an issue, with FC Halifax Town forced to play some matches last season over the border in Lancashire because of its condition.
Mr Davy has also said he will offer the ground back to both clubs for them to purchase once the Giants move out.
But the FC Halifax Town fans who have started the petition online on Jotform are asking the council not to sell The Shay.
They say: “This petition is to show the strength of support within the community for the council to retain the freehold ownership of The Shay Stadium, rather than sell the freehold to a private company such as the Huddersfield Giants.”
The supporters say they want to council to retain the freehold and that, should Huddersfield Giants be allowed to use the Shay, to permit this on a licence-only basis.
They are arguing the award of such a licence should be conditional upon the new tenant undertaking an obligation to pay for improvements to the stadium, including those to the pitch, that meet the requirements of the current tenant clubs both now and in the future, should either of the clubs gain promotion.
The fans group argues that if Huddersfield Giants are allowed to use the Shay, the council should seek options from the community that will allow the stadium to remain a community asset when they leave, whilst also fulfilling council budgetary requirements.
In terms of petitions, different levels of signatures can trigger responses depending on the numbers.
Petitions with 2,000 or more signatures can trigger a full council debate on the issue.
Petitions with 500 or more – but less than 2,000 signatures – trigger the issue being considered by councillors on a council scrutiny panel.
And petitions of less than 500 signatures will see the matter being referred to the appropriate council department for consideration.
To view and sign the petition, click here.
That’s all for this edition of The Calderdale Lead. Don’t forget that if you’ve got a story you think we should be covering then please email calderdale@thelead.uk and we’ll take a look.
Until Wednesday, enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Andrew