Calderdale's business survival rate 'best among neighbours'

It is one of the aspects the borough can be proud of and is of key importance, say senior councillors.

Calderdale cabinet councillors were reviewing the council’s annual performance report for 2024-25.

Cabinet member for Resources, Coun Silvia Dacre, said data showed the rate of new businesses surviving after three years was increasing.

“Our data on business survival rates shows that we continue to increase the proportion of new enterprises that are still active after three years – that’s gone up from 55.3 per cent to 59.8 per cent.

“It’s above the regional average for business survival and it puts us first against our statistical neighbours.

“I hope we can all agree that thriving businesses are absolutely crucial to all of our ambitions for the borough, so that’s really good news,” said Coun Dacre (Lab, Todmorden).

Councillors heard the council’s strategic priorities and themes outlined in the newly adopted Vision 34 aspirations placed great emphasis and priority on Calderdale being a place of enterprise, where businesses can thrive and succeed.

The report as a whole details where the council has performed well, for example a rise in the number of primary schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, rating well in helping people be independent after a hospital episode, and a sizeable increase in tourism.

It also details where it needs to do better, including youth unemployment levels increasing more than comparator authorities, delivering enough new homes, increases in criminal activity and declining performance in maintaining the borough’s roads.