Cash injection sees £76m Halifax homes plan move a step closer

READ: Meet the team who will demolish the Beech Hill tower blocksCalderdale Council’s Cabinet this week recommended full council include £1.4 million in its Capital Programme to allow phase one of the Beech Hill scheme demolition and infrastructure works to be completed and that, subject to a further £797,000 being made available by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, that amount be made available to allow remediation works to be completed too.

Cabinet member for Planning, Housing and the Environment, Coun Daniel Sutherland (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden) said work was under way at Beech Hill with scaffolding up on the former tower blocks which were being demolished and an eyesore on the skyline would be removed.

READ: This is how the Beech Hill tower blocks will be demolishedThe joint project with Together Housing would see £76 million investment in the borough, with some of the financial backing coming from the WYCA, providing around 100 new homes in the first phase – these are expected to be completed by 2022.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, Coun Barry Collins (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden), said it was important to recognise the partnership element with Together and the WYCA.

“It is taking a long time to develop but it is extremely worthwhile. It’s a long overdue regeneration of this area,” he said.

READ: Anger on Halifax estate as it becomes a ‘bulldozer battleground’Park ward Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab) said there was a shortage of affordable housing in Halifax which the scheme should address, with a significant number of the homes being made available to rent.