These Todmorden community projects are set to benefit from £17.5million funding

From town centre development to a theatre project, many community groups and building projects will benefit from the money that is being put into the plan.

The redevelopment of the heart of the town centre will be anchored with a state of the art bespoke and contemporary enterprise centre alongside an accessible flexible plaza area which can be used for events.

Highlights also feature improvements to the town centre experience through Active Todmorden, by connecting up and improving routes to explore and access what’s on offer in the town.

Coun Silvia Dacre, Todmorden Town Deal Board said: “I believe the Active Travel proposals will be transformative both for residents of Todmorden and visitors to our town.

“The work will make the centre of Todmorden easier to negotiate, particularly for those with mobility issues and buggies.”

Key to the plan is improving skills, education and employment opportunities for residents. Central to this is an investment into the community owned Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub to support its redevelopment as a high-quality resource for learning and training.

Julie Thorpe, Centre Manager, Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub said: “This funding means we can secure the future of the building, make it a beacon for sustainable, low-carbon refurbishment, and provide well-equipped, modern learning and leisure facilities. We will be able to provide great facilities for the groups that meet here including sports clubs, art classes, cultural groups, the wonderful ‘Makery’ repair café, the Food Drop-in, Incredible Edible, the Princes Trust, and our own ‘Climate Challenge College’.”

Maximising the town’s green spaces for health, leisure and to support the provision of employment opportunities is key to achieving the vision of a healthier, more sustainable town.

The Riverside Centre project in Walsden will realise a vison created over 45 years ago by the conservation group, for a multi-activity and sports centre, making use of a site set in a beautiful natural environment, attracting residents and visitors alike. The site will develop existing amenities to create accessible and inclusive changing, hospitality, social and accommodation facilities to support activities on offer.

Peter Hirst, Community Development Director for Upper Calder Valley Renaissance (UCVR), who own the site said: “It’s fantastic news that we have been successful in our individual bid.

"We are absolutely delighted that all this hard work has paid off.”

Supporting the arts and cultural sectors in Todmorden is vital to the town’s success. Projects include the provision of a shared resource base for arts practice, workshops and training through Murmuration Workshops, and further investment towards the outstanding community owned Hippodrome Theatre.

The theatre project builds on Accelerator funding through the Town Deal Board, which has already seen the outside of the theatre transformed and made more accessible.

Steve Clarkson, Buildings Manager, The Hippodrome Theatre said: “This is an incredible opportunity to secure the future of the Hippodrome, one of the UK’s largest community run theatres, and a strong cultural and economic asset for the town. The creation of new spaces will allow us to broaden the range of events we can offer and expand our Youth Theatre provision.”

Following confirmation of the £17.5M investment, each project now has to develop full business cases fleshing out details of exactly how the money will be spent and the specific benefits and impacts for the town, residents and visitors that will be achieved, and, most importantly, how further funding and match monies may be drawn into the town, to ensure sustainability and growth now and in the future.