Halifax MP welcomes new £5.8m investment in SEND for town
Kate Dearden and Calderdale Council had been calling for extra cash
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So, onto today’s news…
Calderdale Digest
🏠 Calderdale Council has taken a major step forward in its commitment to young people leaving care, announcing that care leavers in the borough will now be fully exempt from paying Council Tax.
Under the scheme, care leavers living alone will not be required to pay Council Tax until the age of 25, easing financial pressure during the crucial transition into adulthood.
The change will be applied automatically and backdated to April 2025 for all eligible Calderdale residents.
Earlier this year, the Council also became one of a growing number of local authorities to recognise care experience as a protected characteristic, offering the same protections from discrimination as characteristics such as age, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion.
🏟️A restricted covenant will keep Halifax’s The Shay sports stadium safe for sport – unless the council chose to make a different decision around that covenant in the future.
Calderdale Council scrutiny councillors have been debating Cabinet’s decision to enter into negotiations to sell The Shay, which is home to the town’s professional sports clubs, football’s FC Halifax Town and rugby league’s Halifax Panthers.
Ken Davy, owner of Huddersfield Giants rugby league club, wants to buy The Shay estate to base his team there while seeking to develop a ground of their own in Kirklees.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee councillors remain uneasy about the protections the two clubs would have should have in event it was sold to a third party.
The councillors, who were debating a 500-strong petition calling on the council to review a disposal report for The Shay Stadium and consultation practices, still have concerns about the covenant.
Mr Davy has said when he leaves the stadium he would offer to sell to the two clubs or carry on renting to them but there is the possibility he might want to sell.
The council’s Director of Public Services, Ian Day, said the Davy sale had been recommended to Cabinet members in the spring as it would bring in investment in the stadium the council could not afford as well as making budget savings that triggered the decision to sell in the first place.
The committee agreed to forward the petition and a summary of the points posed and answers given, for Cabinet to consider in the New Year.
Extra cash for SEND provision in Halifax will make ‘real difference’ says MP
By Andrew Greaves
Halifax is set to benefit from £5.8m Government investment to create additional specialist educational places for local children.
It comes after both Halifax MP Kate Dearden and Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for children Cllr Adam Wilkinson called for more investment in the town, to help expand places and increase support for young people with SEND.
At local roundtables hosted by Ms Dearden, families have consistently shared the positive impact that more support in school will have, helping to break down barriers and provide a better experience at school for young people with additional needs.
The Government has pledged at least £3 billion over the next four years to create 50,000 specialist places in mainstream schools, alongside bespoke facilities to enable children with additional needs to succeed.
And Ms Dearden said: “I’m delighted to have secured £5.8 million to strengthen vital support for young people in Halifax with additional needs.
“From speaking with families, carers, and educators across our community, I know the real difference this investment will make - helping children get the support they need to thrive and ensuring they can attend welcoming, inclusive schools close to home.
“Today’s announcement shows that this Labour Government is listening to our community and taking action, so that young people with SEND across Halifax are supported to reach their full potential.”
To ensure the best value for local children, the local authority will be given the choice whether to use this funding to build a Delta Calderdale AP Free School or to create places in existing schools.
The Government’s latest cash boost – which will see 2026-27 allocations issued in Spring - builds on the £740 million already invested to create over 10,000 specialist places.
Earlier this month, the Government also pledged to roll out Best Start Hubs with dedicated SEND practitioners across every local authority.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: “Every child deserves to be seen, supported and stretched. Every child deserves to achieve and thrive in their local school. And every child, regardless of their need, deserves to leave school ready for life and work.
“For too many families, the reality has been very different, but we will transform the experience for children and young people with SEND by making sure that their local school is also the right school.
“Ahead our reforms next year, we’re laying the foundations of a new system that shifts children with SEND from forgotten to included and earns the confidence of parents.”
That’s it for this edition, thanks for reading.
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Until Wednesday, have a great week…
Andrew