Pride flag will not fly over Calderdale Council buildings for Pride Month
The rainbow flag will not be flown on any public building, including Shibden Hall
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead.
I hope you’re all having a good weekend so far.
In today’s edition we’ve got details of row over the flying of flags across the borough.
As many of you will be aware, June is Pride Month and it’s a time when the rainbow flag would usually be flying proud on various buildings across Calderdale.
Well, not this year! The new Reform UK-run administration has made it clear that only the Union flag is to be flown, much to the dismay of other councillors.
We’ve got the latest below.
Plus, a couple of nuggets in the Calderdale Digest…
Calderdale Digest
🎭Halifax MP Kate Dearden says she is speaking to Government ministers about what can be done to ensure an important arts centre – where the company in charge of it is now subject to a winding up order – stays open.
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued a winding-up order on the owners of Square Chapel Arts Centre.
The order forces the company to close down and go into voluntary liquidation.
The centre, at Square Road in the town centre, closed suddenly in February last year and has been subject to speculation and major lobbying by the Save Square Chapel Campaign group to get it re-opened and in use again.
Ms Dearden said: “I know residents in Halifax and across Calderdale will be deeply concerned about the news today that HMRC have issued a winding up order on the owners of Square Chapel, and as part of this, the official receiver has taken control of the building.
“I am in urgent communication with the Arts Council and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to understand the immediate implications for Square Chapel and what we can do to ensure it remains an arts centre serving the community in Halifax and Calderdale.”
⛵ Planners have given the green light to proposals to build two semi-detached holiday let cottages at a Todmorden canalside marina.
Calderdale Council officers have approved Marina and Moorings UK Ltd’s plans to build the cottages at Baltimore Marina, Stackhills Road, Todmorden, despite some objections.
Access into the site is along Stackhills Road, past Todmorden Health Centre, over Baltimore Bridge, which is a grade II listed structure over the Rochdale Canal, and through an existing access into the site.
A letter of objection from a member of the public was concerned about impact on the bridge, the only vehicular access for properties further up, concern being not for the actual cottages but materials and vehicles which would have to be brought over the bridge to build them.
They were also concerned about the impact on pedestrians of this traffic.
Todmorden Town Council also opposed the plans.
The town council said: “Although the aspiration to increase tourism in Todmorden is supported there are major concerns about this proposal.
“Specifically these include concerns about the grade II-listed bridge in terms of its heritage but also any increased weight over it and an increase in usage.
“Other canal bridges have been damaged, including the one at Stoodley Glen, and it can take many years for these to be repaired.”
Reform UK holding firm on flags despite calls for Pride flag to be flown
By Andrew Greaves and John Greenwood
Councillors have clashed over whether or not the LGBT+ rainbow flag can fly from any of an authority’s buildings during Pride Month, including one linked to iconic television series Gentleman Jack.
Calderdale Council has posted on its social media that in “Pride Month, we celebrate Calderdale as a place where everyone, regardless of who they are or who they love, is valued and free to be themselves.”
But Labour councillor Sarah Courtney claims the council’s new Reform UK administration has “refused to fly the Pride flag from any council buildings during Pride Month, including at Shibden Hall, an iconic place and the setting for Sally Wainwright’s hugely successful Gentleman Jack TV series.”
Reform UK leader of the Council, Cllr Dan Sutherland said: “We are proud to fly the Union Flag from the Town Hall throughout the year, to represent all the people of the borough, and we continue to celebrate Calderdale as a place where everyone is valued.”
His administration was concentrating on what people wanted prioritising, he said.
Earlier in the week, the council had posted: “The Mayor of Calderdale, Councillor Andrew Tagg, has formally approved the flying of the Union Flag at Halifax Town Hall throughout the year, as of today.
“This is a mark of respect to all the peoples of our great nation.”
Posting on social media, Cllr Courtney noted the post last week did make it clear that only the Union flag will be flown from Halifax Town hall.
But she said that does not affect other venues and specifically referred to Shibden Hall, home of Anne Lister, “whose life and diaries have given Halifax and Calderdale an international place in LGBT+ history,” she said.
Cllr Courtney said: “People have asked me whether Calderdale Council will be flying a Pride flag from any of its buildings to celebrate LGBT+ Pride Month.
“I have asked Dan Sutherland, Reform’s Council Leader, and his Cabinet, this question, including providing a rationale of how Pride flags help promote inclusion and act as a visible marker of safety, solidarity and allyship.
“Measures to promote inclusion can help toward improving the health and wellbeing of people who face discrimination.
“While it does not single-handedly erase systemic discrimination, flying a Pride flag is a low-cost, high-impact action that provides comfort to vulnerable individuals, normalises diversity, and challenges social stigma,” she said.
Cllr Courtney added: “The Pride flag does not exclude anybody, it just signifies that everyone is welcome.
“Sadly, Cllr Sutherland and the new administration have refused to fly the Pride flag from any council buildings during Pride Month, including at Shibden Hall, an iconic place and the setting for Sally Wainwright’s hugely successful Gentleman Jack TV series.
“It was the home of Anne Lister.
“Visitors travel from across the UK and around the world to learn about her life and legacy,” she said.
She said she “respectfully disagreed” with Reform that only the Union Flag can represent everyone in Calderdale and that other flags and symbols can be divisive.
Reform UK Calderdale have said policy on which flags can be flown from council buildings – a protocol was approved by councillors late last year on this – is likely to be reviewed.
In response to Cllr Courtney, Cllr Sutherland said his administration was committed to service delivery to deliver change people wanted to see prioritised.
“We’re committed to delivering services that make a difference to local people, with our priorities centring around value for money, the condition of our roads, crime and anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and cleaner streets, and housing,” he said.
“As we deliver the change that people are eager to see, our focus is on these priority issues.
“We are proud to fly the Union Flag from the Town Hall throughout the year, to represent all the people of the borough, and we continue to celebrate Calderdale as a place where everyone is valued,” he said.
That’s it for this edition - thanks for reading!
Don’t forget you can drop me a line at calderdale@thelead.uk with any story tips, comments or general observations.
I’ll be back in your inboxes on Wednesday so, until then, have a great week!
Andrew