Footfall to Brighouse businesses has fallen through spring and summer months – amid major town centre works – compared to the previous year, but is holding its own.

The figures are published in the town’s business improvement district’s annual report, which covers from September 2025 to August 2026.

It has been a period of turbulence as major and at times controversial town centre works from Brighouse’s £19.1 million Town Deal funding have begun and are ongoing.

Brighouse BID say in the report that makes their work in promoting the town all the more important, also taking in wider economic challenges.

Work that has taken place on Commercial Street.

placeholder image — Work that has taken place on Commercial Street.

But there is much to look forward to and during this period 3.09 million visitors were welcomed to Brighouse, according to the report.

Bid co-chairs Lesley Adams and Ewan Noble say this 12-month period has been “like no other” in the current BID term.

“Alongside the pressures facing high streets nationally – rising operating costs, changing consumer habits and continued pressure on household spending – Brighouse has also been navigating a significant period of change as major regeneration works have progressed across the town centre.

“While the £19.1 million centralised government investment in Brighouse is welcome and will bring long-term improvements we recognise that the construction period has created very real challenges for businesses.

“Disruption, changes to access and movement around the town, concerns around parking and the impact of ongoing works on the visitor experience have all made trading conditions more difficult for some.

“Against that backdrop, the role of Brighouse BID has arguably never been more important,” they say.

Investing in events, marketing, promotions and initiatives to bring people in to the town centre – and working very BID £1 hard – have conveyed a key message – that Brighouse is open as normal while the works progress, say the co-chairs.

Despite the challenges, there remains much to be positive about in Brighouse.

“We have a distinctive independent business community, a strong programme of events and an increasingly established destination brand.

“Our social media, website and visitor communications continue to give businesses a collective platform far greater than many could achieve individually.

“The regeneration programme also gives us an opportunity to look ahead.

“As improvements are completed, our focus will increasingly turn towards helping Brighouse capitalise on that investment – encouraging people to rediscover the town, supporting increased footfall and ensuring our businesses benefit from the improved town centre environment,” said the co-chairs.

Brighouse BID team members analyse footfall and visitor numbers- independently provided by data firm MRI OnLocation via Calderdale Council’s Data Works team.

The 2025-26 figures show footfall increasing through to the regeneration works getting under way in earnest in the spring.

Year-on-year, figures were up 7.4 per cent in August 2025, 4.9 per cent in September, 4.9 per cent in October, three per cent in November, 4.7 per cent in December, 9.4 per cent in January and 2.3 per cent in February.

But they were down 4.6 per cent in March, 9.2 per cent in April, 1.5 per cent in May, 11.2 per cent in June and 15 per cent in July.

Between September 2025 and August 2026, 3.09 million visitors were welcomed to Brighouse, according to the report, an average of 59,398 visitors every week.

“Despite the challenges we face, Brighouse continues to hold our own when benchmarked with other town centres throughout West Yorkshire and also the nationwide footfall trends in town centres throughout the UK,” says the report.