Call to save 'promenade' railings at Halifax's Calder and Hebble junction

Historically a route along which courting couple would often walk, old cast-iron railings gave a stretch of Huddersfield Road, Salterhebble, Halifax, its nickname of “the Promenade”.

But concern has been expressed about the railings with multi-million pound remodelling work ongoing on the stretch of road and nearby Calder and Hebble junction as part of A629 corridor improvements to streamline the route between Halifax and Huddersfield.

Councillor John Ford (Con, Elland) said the construction, opposite where an old pub used to be, was raised up alongside the road, a very unusual piece of land, recessed into the hillside.He believed it was built around 1930 and in those days it was a place where young couples would meet.

“Many people from Elland have asked me what are they going to do with the Promenade?

“It’s been part-used by the developer, I don’t think they have damaged it, but can I ask it be preserved because it’s an interesting and unusual feature and in future we might be able to do something with it as part of a cycleway or something like that.

“What can you do to guarantee we can preserve the Promenade for the next generation?” he asked Cabinet members at a meeting of Calderdale Council.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said particularly the fine cast iron railings were the sort of thing that defined Calderdale in many ways, “weighty and handsome.”

The council had been trying to work with the contractor to retain as much of it as possible, but she would get Coun Ford an updated position.

“We are trying to retain trees where we can and iron railings,” she said.

Coun Scullion said a good cycleway, bus route and pedestrian route were included in the scheme, one aim of the project being to make the journey between the two hospitals, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital, which are both part of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, as easy as possible for everyone.

The scheme aimed to do this in a way which meets Calderdale’s heritage, said Coun Scullion.