Senior Calderdale councillors have approved compulsory purchase powers as part of plan for a new multi-million pound rail station which will say will prove “transformational” Elland.

Coun Scott Patient said the approval was a “significant moment”.

“We all know how long people have been waiting for Elland railway station, some patiently, some not-so-patiently, but actually it’s going to be a bit of game changer and this is the opening salvo really, after a long wait.

“I know how transformational this will be not just for the people of Elland but also for all the businesses at Lowfields as well,” he said.

An artist's impression of how the finished Elland Rail Station might look

placeholder image — An artist's impression of how the finished Elland Rail Station might look

Leader of the council, Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) told colleagues that money for both the station itself and for the access package were to be fully considered at West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s meeting on January 28, where she would be “fighting for Calderdale and Elland”.

Coun Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot), cabinet member for Climate Action and Housing, said Lowfields business park can be difficult to get to, with no station running through.

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The idea of the access package for which the CPO powers, which had been approved by the Secretary of State, were going to be used was not just to build a station in isolation, he said.

“This is about allowing people that live there and visitors to access it in ways that suit them, whether they are on a bike or whether they’re walking or however they want to travel there,” said Coun Patient.

Propositions include developing a new pedestrian bridge, and walking and cycling routes, connecting the station to the town, he said requesting Cabinet members support using the powers.

“What this aims to do is quite transformational – to help finally achieve what we’ve been waiting so long to achieve, which is moving forward with the Elland station package,” said Coun Patient.

Coun Scullion said Elland had been through some tough times with roadworks related to major schemes – they were “just beginning to recover from that and become re-energised”.

The rail station projects were “I think the beginning of something people have waited for for a long time, of a real regeneration of Elland,” she said.

Coun Scullion hoped negotiations with Network Rail and Grand Central were successful, which would mean a London train stopping at Elland.