Town Hall chiefs approve compulsory purchase of land for new Elland rail project
Land will be used for new access routes for 'transformational' new station
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead.
I hope you’ve all had a good start to the week and that you’re already looking forward to the weekend!
In today’s edition we’ve got the latest on the new multi-million pound railway station that is being planned for Elland (complete with some very nice looking artist impressions!).
Plus, in the Calderdale Digest we’ve got a couple of other nuggets.
Don’t forget at the minute we’re running a special paid subscription offer with 50% off an annual sub. Just click here for more details.
Now, on with the news…
Calderdale Digest
🎾Proposals to create a padel court in a former Sunday school building in Sowerby Bridge have been submitted to planners.
Chris Hasling has applied to Calderdale Council seeking listed building consent to change the interior of Bolton Brow Gallery, Bolton Brow.
Mr Hasling wants to create a padel court in the building – padel is a racquet sport originating in Mexico, combining elements of tennis and squash which is said to be becoming increasingly popular in Europe.
He argues the building – the Grade II listed former Bolton Brow Sunday School – is currently underused and at risk of long-term decline.
Mr Hasling says installing a padel court will provide a viable, income-generating use to support ongoing maintenance of the building.
🚔More than 280 suspected drink or drug drivers were arrested in West Yorkshire over the Christmas and New Year period.
A total of 288 people were arrested on suspicion of drink or drug driving during our annual Christmas and New Year road safety campaign which ran from 1 December to 1 January.
Of that figure, 196 people were arrested on suspicion of drink driving, while 92 were arrested for suspected drug driving.
New Years Day saw the highest total of arrests, with 18 people detained on suspicion of drink or drug driving.
The highest daily total of drink driving arrests was on 7 December with 13 arrested, while the highest daily total of drug driving arrests happened on 14 December with 7 arrested.
‘Transformational’ new railway station for Elland moves step closer as Cabinet agrees CPO for access land
By John Greenwood
Senior Calderdale councillors have approved compulsory purchase powers for land related to access routes to a new multi-million pound rail station at Elland which will prove “transformational” for the town.
Coun Scott Patient said approval was a “significant moment” although a final decision on funding is not due until later this month.
“We all know how long people have been waiting for Elland railway station, some patiently, some not-so-patiently, but actually it’s going to be a bit of game changer and this is the opening salvo really, after a long wait.
“I know how transformational this will be not just for the people of Elland but also for all the businesses at Lowfields as well,” he said.
Leader of the Council, Coun Jane Scullion told colleagues that money for both the station itself and for the access package were to be fully considered at West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s meeting on January 28, where she would be “fighting for Calderdale and Elland.”
Coun Patient, Cabinet member for Climate Action and Housing, said Lowfields business park can be difficult to get to, with no station running through.
The idea of the access package for which the CPO powers which had been approved by the Secretary of State were going to be used was not just to build a station in isolation, he said.
“This is about allowing people that live there and visitors to access it in ways that suit them, whether they are on a bike or whether they’re walking or however they want to travel there,” said Coun Patient.
Propositions include developing a new pedestrian bridge, and walking and cycling routes, connecting the station to the town, he said requesting Cabinet members support using the powers.
“What this aims to do is quite transformational – to help finally achieve what we’ve been waiting so long to achieve, which is moving forward with the Elland station package,” said Coun Patient.
Coun Scullion said Elland had been through some tough times with roadworks related to major schemes – they were “just beginning to recover from that and become re-energsised.”
The rail station projects were “I think the beginning of something people have waited for for a long time, of a real regeneration of Elland,” she said.
Coun Scullion hoped negotiations with Network Rail and Grand Central were successful, which would mean a London train stopping at Elland.
Together, the planned new station and access package aim to improve people’s access to jobs, learning and opportunities, Cabinet members heard.
That’s it for this edition, thanks for reading.
Don’t forget you can get in touch by leaving a comment here or by emailing calderdale@thelead.uk.
Until Sunday, have a great week!
Andrew