Halifax MP hosts community session to see how £20m grant should be spent
Community clean-ups, land development for SEND provision and a new boxing club all suggested
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead!
We’ve had it all weather-wise this week with high winds, torrential rain, a touch of sunshine and even some sleet. Maybe this is winter’s last hurrah before spring gets into swing properly. I certainly hope so!
In today’s edition, we’ve got details of how the community is being asked for suggestions on how to spend a £20m grant in Mixenden and parts of Illingworth.
Halifax MP Kate Dearden was treated to a host of ideas at a special community forum she organised.
Plus, we’ve got a couple of choice nuggets in the Calderdale Digest.
So, on with the news…
Calderdale Digest
🚧 A project to better protect some Elland homes from serious flooding can still be developed despite a funding blow.
Residents in the Park Road area have been badly flooded at times when Calderdale has been deluged, including in major flooding amid Storm Ciara in February 2020.
The Environment Agency included the Park Road project in a £118.3 million funding bid for schemes in Yorkshire in 2026-27 but only £55 million had ultimately been allocated for the region.
The bid included £2.4 million for a Park Road scheme – but no money had now been allocated for next year.
This prompted concerns from Calderdale flood partners.
Cllr Silvia Dacre asked for some clarity as to what was happening as one report to Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board indicated the axing of the funding – but another indicated a scheme was being taken forward.
“Residents will be anxious and want some answers about how the scheme will progress,” she said.
Jo Arnold, EA Calderdale programme and partnership manager, said money had been found from other sources to take proposals forward.
This was partly thanks to some funding from Calderdale Council.
Natural flood management (NFM) measures were being considered as part of a solution, alongside individual property protection.
💀 In one form or another, it has been around for centuries… but the replica of Halifax’s famous Gibbet needs replacing.
The original of the machine used to behead those found guilty of certain offences was first used in 1286 and the final three victims of its blade were in 1650.
Pre-dating by some while the guillotine, it utilised a large axe blade and upright posts.
Its notoriety is echoed in the phrase: “From Hull, Hell and Halifax, good Lord deliver us.”
More recently people can see the replica of the machine just off Gibbet Street but Calderdale Council says this needs replacing with a bespoke rebuilt successor, and an application has gone into the authority’s planning department seeking the relevant listed building consent, as it is Grade II-listed.
It is rotting and thus needs the replacement work.
The new structure will definitely be a chip off the old block, promises the council, with the application outlining how the renovation will be carried out.
It is an old oak structure and minimal intervention using traditional methods and techniques will be deployed.
The full extent of the damage has been fully assessed and it is deemed the whole structure needs replacing.
Green, unseasoned oak will be used, the same material as it is replacing, modern materials will be avoided, and mostly glue or resin will be avoided too – “we will use traditional fixing methods and will use the existing fixing holes to fix the new structure,” says the council.
Twelve months after installation the green oak should have air dried and timber preservative can be applied, say supporting statements with the application.
The old structure will be removed top down, nuts and bolts re-used where practicable, and templates made from the existing sections at workshops.
Existing joint methods will be replicated including mortice, tenon and, on the base, half lap joints.
All stages of the replacement process will be photographed and recorded, says the Council.
Community at heart of decisions as MP seeks suggestions for £20m grant
By Andrew Greaves
Residents in Mixenden and parts of Illingworth have had their say on how they think a £20m ‘Pride in Place’ grant should be spent in the area.
More than 40 residents attended the meeting at Ash Green Primary School, where they heard how the Government’s new Pride in Place programme will be delivered locally and how they can help shape plans for the future of their community.
Last year, Halifax Kate Dearden secured £20 million for the area through the Government’s Pride in Place programme.
The funding will be delivered over ten years and is designed to support improvements chosen by the people who live and work locally, with community engagement and resident leadership at the centre of the programme through an independent chair and a neighbourhood board.
During the event, residents were able to ask questions about the programme and share their early ideas for how the funding could be used.
Suggestions ranged from community clean-up initiatives and land development to improved SEND provision and new facilities such as a local gym or boxing club for young people.
Local organisations and community groups were also in attendance, sharing information about the work they are already doing in Mixenden and Illingworth and how they can support residents as the programme develops.
The forum was followed by a community social hosted at Holy Nativity Church, where residents came together to celebrate their local area, enjoy food provided by Munchies Café and take part in a quiz organised by the church.
The events come as Calderdale Council and Ms Dearden continue to invite expressions of interest from residents who would like to join the new Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board - a community-led group that will guide long-term investment and decision-making in the area.
Applications have now closed for the Independent Chair, with an appointment expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Following the event, Ms Dearden said: “It was fantastic to bring residents together from across Mixenden and Illingworth to start shaping how this £20 million investment will benefit our community.
“What really stood out was the passion people have for their local area and the thoughtful ideas already being shared about the improvements they want to see.
“Pride in Place is about putting local people in the driving seat - ensuring that investment reflects the priorities of the community and delivers lasting improvements for the area.”
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said the funding offered the council an ‘incredible opportunity’ to deliver local improvements for residents.
She added: “We’re at the start of this exciting journey, and it’s so important that people who live and work in the area shape the improvements and are involved right at the start of the process.
“Thank you to everyone who attended the recent community event, we heard some great ideas and a sense of optimism and enthusiasm about what the programme could deliver.
“We share this ambition and passion for making the area a better place for everyone, and we’re excited to turn this into action and deliver for north Halifax.”
That’s it for this edition of The Calderdale Lead.
We’ll be back with another edition on Wednesday and, as ever, if there’s something you think we should be following up on, feel free to drop me a line on calderdale@thelead.uk.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Andrew