Council office to be retained as a key base for Calderdale staff

Calderdale Council has been looking at rationalising the buildings it needs to carry out its business in tough economic times, and was considering of disposing of Horton Street, Halifax.

But Cabinet have agreed to retain the building after hearing its social work teams need a base where they can consult with colleagues and hold face to face meetings in an important part of the council’s work.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said the council’s social work teams had worked hard during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep eyes on children.

“You need to come back to a fixed setting in some way so you have got the support, share intelligence of children possibly slipping through the net, to get supervision and guidance,” she said.

After examining which of the council’s properties might meet their needs, it was found Horton Street would be the best, said Coun Scullion, who said costs of retaining it could be met from existing budgets.

Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park), Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, said there was a possibility Horton Street could also be be used for customer contact for other directorates.

Online contact was going up and up, but there will always be the need to see someone in a face to face situation, she said.

“I hope it can be used for appointments with vulnerable clients.

“Earlier we were talking about problem debt and I hope it may be possible to have partner organisations who might be able to have some kind of surgery arrangements,” she said.

Members also agreed that space it used in the troubled Threeways centre at Ovenden will be considered as part of a more wide-ranging strategic plan for north Halifax as a whole.

Councillors also agreed a number of financial decisions, including approving an increase to its overall capital programme to take in cost of projects including towns investment plans for Todmorden and Brighouse, and the new leisure centre at Halifax.

Cabinet are told most funding comes from grants, including Government money, but some will be through prudential borrowing – special rates councils can borrow at – which has to be serviced.

Councillors were also updated on and will review the council’s revenue position.

They heard the council will, just, meet its budget targets to balance the books this year – although Leader of the Council, Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town) noted the authority had not got through winter, with its potential costs, yet.

And Cabinet’s budget recommendations to full council at the end of the month remain unchanged at the moment – the funding settlement from the Government is slightly more generous than suggested but rising costs mean more provision for contingencies has to be made, members said.