Work starts to build new library, shop, health centre and garden in part of Halifax

Calderdale Council is hoping Mixenden Community Hub will become the “heart of the area”.

Councillor Jane Scullion, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, said: “Seeing work underway on the Mixenden Community Hub site is a landmark moment for this exciting project.

"It means we’re a step closer to giving residents easier access to services that support their everyday needs and help boost their health and wellbeing, reflecting our ambition to make life in Calderdale better for all.”

Paul O’Hare, Director of contractor for the project Code Building Solutions Limited, added: “It’s really exciting for us to get a bucket in the ground and start the project.

"It is difficult to see progress at this stage as all the work is buried in the ground but we’re busy preparing the foundations for the new structure and when the steelwork arrives, everyone will be able to see the progress.”

Preparation work started at the end of April to get the site ready for construction, and site clearance and putting up the perimeter fencing began in early May. The next stage involves setting out the building, starting to dig the foundations and levelling the site.

The council hopes the hub will be finished early next year.

It will include a centre where people can access community healthcare, in addition to the existing nearby GP surgery; a shop or office space for rent; a community garden which, along with systems to collect and slowly release rainwater, will help with flood resilience and biodiversity; a library.