Tourism on the up in Calderdale thanks to TV and concert boost
Plus, Storm Darragh weather warnings in place for this weekend...
Hello and welcome to the sixth edition of The Calderdale Lead!
I don’t know about you but this constant round of wind and rain isn’t helping me get in the festive spirit.
There’s another storm on the way - this time by the name of Darragh - and we’ve got details of the weather warnings below. (The sirens were going off in Todmorden on Thursday evening and it felt then like the end of days were near!).
Plus, in happier news, we look at how Calderdale’s tourism industry continues to grow on the back of TV drama exposure and gigs at the borough’s jewel in the crown - The Piece Hall!
TV dramas and live gigs give Calderdale tourism boost again
An increase in tourism across the borough has led to double-digit increases in both jobs and economic value, according to latest figures.
Whilst we all know what a wonderful place Calderdale is to visit, work, live and play in, it seems that outsiders are also flocking to see what the borough has to offer.
Visits to Calderdale added up to a massive 7.6 million in 2023, up nearly 5% from 2022, according to a report commissioned by the Council, from Global Tourism Solutions.
They were worth more than £600 million to the local economy, a 16% increase on the previous year, and supported over 5,500 full-time jobs – almost 10% more than in 2022.
Exposure on TV shows such as Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack and Marvel: Secret Invasion, which were all filmed here, is being cited as a key factor for the increase in visitors.
Concerts at The Piece Hall have also seen a boom in visitors and organisers of the TK Maxx Presents… Live at The Piece Hall announced on Friday that 100,000 tickets had already been sold for next year’s series of events.
The money spent by tourists during their visits to the area in 2023 spread far and wide, from towns and villages to rural areas. This benefitted hospitality, retail and entertainment businesses and the supply chain.
Cllr Sarah Courtney, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, said: “We’re thrilled that visits to Calderdale are on the up, despite cost of living pressures. The borough’s towns, places, people, businesses and attractions continue to offer something distinctive to visitors and film crews.
“We can see the lasting impact that TV and film tourism is having on our economy, with people still keen to see where favourites like Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack and Marvel: Secret Invasion were filmed. And venues like The Piece Hall are putting Calderdale on the international map as a cultural, heritage and music destination.
“We are building on this success through our Visitor Economy Strategy, widespread regeneration to support thriving towns and places, and our iconic Year of Culture 2024. We want to protect and promote the qualities that make our borough special, for local people as well as visitors.”
A look at the figures for 2023 show that visitor shopping spend in the borough was up by more than 18% to £160.55m while food and drink spend was up by 17.8% to £108.26m compared to 2022.
The council’s new Visitor Economy Strategy aims to generate more and longer trips to Calderdale, benefitting the local economy and leading to increased jobs.
The authority has set out three priorities in the strategy - develop product and places, increase awareness and appeal and managing the visitor economy effectively.
It also focuses on working in partnership with other organisations and local communities to showcase Calderdale, ensuring the borough remains “competitive, compelling and attractive, and protecting the environment, such as by encouraging sustainable travel”.
We’re going to be taking a deeper-dive into the three priorities over the coming.
But in the meantime, for more information and to read the full Visitor Economy Strategy click here.
Storm Darragh warnings in place as Calderdale braces itself
***7.30am update***
Calderdale is once again bracing itself as Storm Darragh starts to batter parts of the UK.
The Met Office has issued a Yellow warning for strong winds across West Yorkshire and at 7.30am this morning there were two flood warnings in place in Brighouse - fears for the River Calder at Cooper Bridge and at Bradley.
The latest forecast shows that rain is set to continue throughout much of the day although it does not look to be on the same scale as Storm Bert just a couple of weeks ago.
There are a number of resources people across Calderdale can access for the latest information including the Eye on Calderdale website which has up-to-the-minute news on flooding. That can be accessed here.
The Todmorden Flood Group Facebook page is also worth following - the borough’s flood wardens post regular updates and respond to questions/appeals for help on there.
You can also check the latest forecast for Calderdale by clicking here.
That’s it for today’s edition, I hope you are all able to stay safe and enjoy this weekend despite the terrible weather.
We’ll be back on Wednesday with our next edition.
Until then, thanks for reading!
Andrew