Spend local and help boost the economy, residents told
Plus, by-election candidates announced.
Hello and welcome to the weekend edition of The Calderdale Lead.
I’ve got some great news for fans of long weekends - next weekend is one of them! (Not a bad way to start an intro eh?).
Anyway, in today’s edition we’ve got a plea from Calderdale councillors to spend locally to help provide a boost to the local economy.
Plus, we’ve got the details of which parties and candidates are going to be contesting the Skircoat by-election next month, following the decision of Labour’s Mike Barnes to stand down.
So, on with the news!
Spend £5 a week to boost Calderdale economy by £40m
By LDRS’ John Greenwood
Every adult spending just £5 a week with local businesses instead of online would give be worth £40 million to Calderdale’s economy, say councillors.
Members agreed their authority should encourage businesses to develop local spending campaigns encouraging shoppers to spend more of their money in their borough.
Councillors also recognised Calderdale Council’s own buying policies should encourage local supply chains, using small and medium sized businesses and also social enterprises.
Conservative Coun Peter Hunt put forward a motion to the full council which recognised businesses are the backbone of Calderdale’s communities, providing jobs, services and contributing to the local economy.
He said local residents should be encouraged to shop locally through awareness campaigns highlighting benefits of supporting local businesses.
Coun Hunt said: “Calderdale has amazing and distinctive local businesses and local residents should help to support them during this challenging period.
“If every adult in Calderdale spent just £5 a week in our local businesses instead of online, it would be worth over £40 million per year for our local economy, which means more jobs, improved public services and an even nicer place to live, work and visit.”
Calderdale should lead by example, prioritising local businesses when making purchases, where it was feasible and within legal constraints, he said.
He proposed the council should develop a “Spend Local” campaign but Labour’s successful amendment argued businesses themselves should be encouraged to do this, perhaps through campaigns along the lines of those supported nationally through Totally Locally, such as the “Magic Tenner”.
A defeated Liberal Democrat amendment also wanted to add recognition of work already being undertaken by Business Improvement Districts and Town Boards in some Calderdale towns.
Lib Dem Coun Paul Bellenger said planning for how people got from point to point in Halifax, for example by not having bus drop-off and pick-up points only in one area of town, should also be included.
Labour argued the spirit behind the motion and amendments was similar – Cabinet member for Resources, Coun Silvia Dacre said theirs added a little more clarity about what is happening and what the council can do.
Coun Hunt’s original motion pointed out the council spent £100,000 at online retailers through council credit cards last year and argued the money could be better spent in the local economy.
Cabinet member for Regeneration and Transport, Coun Sarah Courtney said in her amendment that 40 per cent of 2024-25 spending was with Calderdale businesses and in 2023-24 £2.3 million had been spent directly with Calderdale businesses, the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation – regional arm of the public sector purchasing organisation – confirmed.
Her Labour colleague Coun Dot Foster urged people individually to support local businesses.
“We need to make that effort to get down to our local businesses and use them,” she said.
Five to contest Skircoat by-election
The five candidates who will contest the Skircoat by-election next month have been confirmed.
Voters in the Halifax ward will go to the polls on May 8.
The vacancy has arisen following Labour councillor Mike Barnes’ decision to step down from the council last month.
Nominations closed this week and five candidates are fighting the seat.
Defending the seat for Labour is Dave Mendes Da Costa, who will face opposition from four other parties.
Challengers include Stephen Alexander Gow for the Liberal Democrats, Vishal Gupta for the Conservatives, Paul Hawkaluk for Reform UK and Roseanne Sweeney for the Green Party.
This is potentially the only election taking place in 2025 with the whole council - 54 seats in 18 wards - due to be voted in next May.
And there we have it!
Thanks for reading and don’t forget if there’s a pressing issue you feel we should be looking into, just drop me an email on calderdale@thelead.uk and I’ll take a look.
Until Wednesday, enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Andrew