Calderdale Council set to save if college is transferred to group

Todmorden Community College - campaigners trying to save the community college

Transferring a college in Calderdale into community ownership should save a council as much as Â£1.25m in the short term.

Negotiations are still taking place for the future use of the Todmorden Community College and the revenue implications are to be confirmed.

Calderdale Council’s cabinet members agreed in February that transfering the site to Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub (TLC) was the best option for the town moving forward. They backed the bid over a rival option which would have seen the Burnley Road site developed by supermarket chain Aldi, which already has permission to build on adjacent land.

The decision impacts on the council’s corporate and management facilities (CAFM) board’s asset review programme. The service is responsible for the ensuring the council’s land and property is fit for purpose, delivering services well and with value for money.

As a result of the decision, the overall programme is expected to require £2m less capital funding, although £750,000 might have been realised if Cabinet had decided to sell the site to Aldi.

And the council will have to find cash to fund some minor renovations of Todmorden Library and Todmorden Town Hall, and associated running costs, which were originally planned alongside a newly-built locality hub for the town scrapped as a result of the college transfer decision.