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Bold new vision for Halifax library and town centre
Piece Hall transformation project - Spire Site Library, entrance view
Mega-plans for reshaping Halifax town centre have finally been revealed.
Councillors want to knock down their administrative HQ, Northgate House, and replace the Central Library and archives by 2015 with a new glass building between Piece Hall and Square Chapel.
That would create space for more shops and perhaps pave the way for a new bus station.
A new drop-in centre for council services at Broad Street is also proposed, along with the sale of the former Heath Grammar School at Free School Lane, which would help to pay for it all.
Calderdale Council Cabinet last night recommended the scheme be approved.
A special taxi bus could help transport people to the new library, archive and education centre.
The state-of-the-art information hub linked to the Piece Hall would sit comfortably between Square Chapel Arts Centre and the town’s Industrial Museum, which could also reopen.
This is the key ingredient in a long-awaited scheme to solve numerous accommodation problems and help reinvigorate the town centre.
According to Calderdale Council, it would cost £6 million to refurbish the existing library and £15 million to restore the council’s administrative HQ, Northgate House. Both would have to close for months.
Demolishing them would create space for new shops, raise money for the new library and help pay for a “Customer First” office for council and other services, possibly at Broad Street. The library would assist in rejuvenating the Piece Hall, which is the subject of a seaparate multi-million pound lottery bid.
To make the entire package affordable, the cabinet has also recommended selling the former Heath Grammar School in Free School Lane, Halifax, which has been used for years as a conference and training centre.
The council’s economy and environment director Ian Gray said there was other accommodation available in Halifax for training purposes and for administrative staff, many of whom could get the opportunity to work from home.
Councillors have spent years trying to decide whether to restore or replace Northgate House which, like Central Library and archives, was only built in 1983.
There has been massive public support for retaining the library, although until now there have never been any firm plans for moving it.
After their meeting last night behind closed doors, the Lib-Lab council leaders on the cabinet issued a statement saying they had listened to public opinion, and the views of shoppers and businesses which want to invest in Halifax.
“We want to seize the opportunity to safeguard the town’s economic future, bring jobs and visitors and join together many exciting developments.
“It will ensure that Halifax becomes an attractive destination for shoppers, which is good for businesses and will give greater choice to residents.”
The proposals will add to the benefits of the soon-to-be completed Broad Street scheme, which includes a multi-screen cinema, a hotel, eateries and a car park, the £3.8 million Orange Box Youth Centre beside the Piece Hall, work on which is about to begin, the Square Chapel extension and the new shopping centre planned for Horton Street, which incorporates a 500-space car park.
The cabinet’s recommendations will be subject to approval at the next council meeting on December 7.
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Comments
There are 92 comments to this article
Page 1 of 7
Archie Medes
Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 02:19 PMThe point is, we already have a state-of-the-art archives storage and library building; it will cost far more to build a new one than to maintain the existing one. Primark only require less than half the site of Northgate House and the Library, so why demolish a perfectly good facility with all the environmental damage that will do. Recycle buildings, don't demolish willy-nilly. Use the ground floors for retail if needed. And the proposed new bus station - how will that be built near the Piece Hall ? The only site vaguely possible is the Woolshops car park. Significant that on the Town centre Development Plan it has buildings on it and is no longer a car park.
Oktron
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 09:58 PMYou can't please all of the Calderdale residents all of the time....move on !!
Phyllisstein
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 05:02 PMSo the Lib-Lab council has met behind closed doors, what a surprise. This whole business is smelling like a done deal regardless of public opinion. The town will end up with a substandard library and yet another bus station the third in my lifetime..The library will become a nasty cheap looking glass building (who is the architect,-get rid ) All that glass- will it be environmentally friendly? it will certainly be an eyesore as 'The Plaza' is already. Put it together with cheap businesses (who won't fill the already empty shops (Broad Street) which may come to the town and it looks like another half-cocked badly thought through idea that various Halifax Councils have made in the past. Oh and again lets not forget The Italian -style Piazza proposed for the Piece Hall which will be another waste of money.Is the designer the same person who has designed the library? I say again get rid .Someone I'm sure will make a lot off money from this and it won't be the people of Halifax..
Peter Avinou
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 01:32 PMNotice how we are barred ferom making comments on the outrageous ban on comments about Childrens Services etc.? Just lioll at the money these person earn for dragging all down to the bottom level and, they get over amply rewarded for doing so. They will now move, without concern to other dozy Councilsl without the wits to really find out what they buying.They shut be on some "dangerous to your departments list" for all time. Pensions - I thought these were to be earned, like for normal people? What a system, and just what a shower signs up to these costly deals. Without a doubt CMBCs well in the lead.
Peter Avinou
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 09:28 AM# 87 It's a Pigeon Loft. it even looks like a Pigeon Loft, but with a Spire. Incongrous and out of place. Selected by our Councils pet people and nodded through in minutes by those we call Councillors, but effectively silent people. Like Northgate House - they have decided, they want, and by any means they will get - no matter the cost; any cost, for they, unlike normal people never have to consider the real costs of their action, foibles and lies. A special breed!
faceless
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 09:57 PMlooks good to me open up the site develop it tastefully create a BUS STATION--NOT A BUS PARKwith suitable concourse ect tie in with broad st in 5 years you have a flexible new town area accessible to all an i think it will buzz even them ghost units might open!!!!
micknand
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 09:22 PMAMH I had no dealings other than paying my taxes up until I became involved in the campaign against the councils plans for the Sowerby Bridge - Copley Valley. Since then I have been lied to, seen officers mislead councillors at planning committee. Seen officers respond to reports of dumped contaminated soil by saying "no it's not" when I have seen it and photographed it myself. I have seen discrimination of people invited to a CMBC public meeting supposedly chosen at random but then admitted that the people invited were actually screened to rule out those who might ask difficult questions. I have found out about a supposed community group that is actually set up by council officers and rejects people who do not agree with everything CMBC want to do. I have found out that CMBC officers took a decision in 2005 not to tell people who rented allotments from them that they could be growing and eating toxic food. Look I am not usually a cynical person but there comes a time when even I have to realise that what I am seeing is not one or two accidents, not even one or two rogue officers but much bigger than that. This is gross mis-management of our resources by CMBC and also to my mind in connection with Milner Royd Allotments it is criminal. Why isn't there a police investigation into this? I could go on - it has been an eye opener. I want Halifax to prosper, I have lived here all my life so far but I really do think we need to be watching and questioning CMBC, otherwise they will spend and spend with no benefit to the good of our area. At the moment this is a rotten borough, sadly and without those of us who are concerned being involved at whatever level we can then I don't see it improving. Mick www.copleyvalley.co.uk
MikePayne
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 05:14 PMBold new PORTAKABIN...
AMH
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 05:00 PMPeter you seem to believe I'm defending the council which I have absolutely no intention of doing. I'm simply baffled by the blind hatred people seem to have for anything and everything put forward for the development of the town!
Peter Avinou
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 03:23 PM# 82 AMH You must read everything; including all our complaints about the sheer secrecy and lies our Authority have told all about their plans. We think we live in a Democracy, and that our vote for some yes person should mean something. Taken in it's full context you have the full picture - a lot of people absolutely peed off by a Council that ignores all and everything.. People in high places abusing the powers we gave them - we ask why, and what's in it for them. We need a full enquiry into CMBC, for like so many others, I think the whole set off stinks far worse than that firm processing animal waste at Boothtown; yet another of those questionable happenings. To be complacement and allow these people free reign is tantamount to surrendering your own thoughts to people that lack any public concience..
AMH
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 01:34 PMGod there's some depressing folk on here, the only way the council could be any worse is if some of you lot got into power. There really is no pleasing people - don't build at broad street=rubbish council, build at broad street=it'll be a white elephant. Who cares if Northgate House is demolished? It's hardly an attractive building, in fact it's ugly as sin. People saying the new design looks like something from the 60s really need to learn about brutalist architecture because this is nothing like that.
Peter Avinou
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 01:00 PM# 6 halifax avenger They're all in it as deep as they could be. The whole subject has been one endless pack of lies from the day Northgate House received that "falling down" report from the good lady whom promptly left CMBC We need this Pigeon Loft design next to The Piece Hall almost as much as we need a lunatic ayslum in the Parish Church. It shouts bad taste, cheap and tatty and, with CMBCsmaintenance record due for demolition in ten years, or it will be the biggest eyesore yet..
Peter Avinou
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 12:51 PM# &4 Micknand My eternal wish too. Little cliques of master schemers, with nothing better to plan than their own worthless futures. Come the next Local Elections, I hope they face some real problems, just like they create for us.
hafax555
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 12:49 PMbroad street ,new library,horton lane development.upgrade of piece hall. new council offices .new bus station.Looks good to me .
Peter Avinou
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 12:46 PM# 76 Fax lad They couldn't afford to build as well as the old, not by a long chalk! That building will be falling down in less time than they claim Northgate House was. Even this is known to be a grossly overstated figure.
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