Major Calderdale highways plans come under scrutiny

Councillors will be able to meet in virtual form as Place Scrutiny Board will discuss call-in of a Cabinet decision to progress a multi-million pound project to make changes to two major highways into Calderdale, from Ripponden to Halifax, along the A58/A672 and from Todmorden to Halifax along the A646/A6033 corridor.

Meetings resumed in virtual form when Cabinet met via screen on April 27 but decisions have still to be made on other types of meeting, including Mayor-making which is usually held later in May.

The item has been called in by Coun Peter Caffrey, supported by Conservative Group Leader Coun Steven Leigh (Ryburn) and Coun Geraldine Carter (Con, Ryburn).

A call-in letter sent by Coun Leigh asks the scrutiny board to recommend Cabinet’s decision to agree compulsory purchase powers for a parcel of land relating to the scheme known as Plot 4 along the A58 corridor be withdrawn pending further scrutiny, consultation, discussion and reconsideration.

The highways corridor improvement schemes are being delivered as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (WYCA)

West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund by the council and the authority, aiming to remove pinch points, improve traffic flow and bring benefits including speedier bus travel and innovations to benefit cyclists and pedestrians.

At the meeting, which will be screened on Calderdale Council YouTube channel from 6pm, Coun Caffrey (Con, Northowram and Shelf), who is a member of the board, will first of all state why he feels the decision should be reexamined.

Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot), as Cabinet member for Regeneration and Resources, along with any relevant officers will then be invited to respond.

The scrutiny board can vote to either release the decision for implementation, refer the decision back to Cabinet to reconsider, giving its reasons, or refer the matter to a full Calderdale Council meeting for more consideration.

The board will also review its work undertaken during 2019-20 and consider possibly issues members might wish to scrutinise over the next year.