Why Calderdale towns and villages with their own flavours should be allowed to thrive

Calderdale Council’s Audit Committee looks at a how the authority is achieving its goals, focusing on a different issue at each meeting.

They received a report analysing the risk of not providing inclusive growth and allowing all town to thrive.

Councillors heard a checklist of triggers for failure and the consequences of that to the authority, along with actions which can be taken, was used to ensure the correct paths were followed.

The council does not do this in isolation but works with other groups in the communities concerned, often drawn together at each area’s Ward Forum.

Director of Regeneration and Strategy, Mark Thompson, said: “We have to keep our eye on six market towns – Halifax, Elland, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and Brighouse – and villages like Mytholmroyd and Ripponden, places that are important too,” he said.

For example, Town Boards are in place in all six market towns, and as well as councillors and officers involve representatives from other parts of the community including businesses.

“All are active, there is a budget for each and the boards are spending that budget,” said Mr Thompson.

Often they had taken their time to think carefully about what they wanted to spend money on and each was doing it differently.

“Each ward has a different ‘flavour’,” he said.

Collaborations ranged from the theatre in Halifax to some of the smaller festivals in some of the other towns.

Calderdale was also deciding which applications to make to the Government’s Future High Street Fund which was coming soon.

Councillor James Baker (Lib Dem, Warley) asked if the council looked at issues on a statistical basis. Mr Thompson said: “We can track the trends.”