Calderdale

Main Urban Centre: Halifax is the civic centre of Calderdale with both housing and employment opportunities.

Location

Halifax Urban Centre SPA covers 87 hectares, features key retail and tourist attractions, and is the region’s administrative and employment hub. The A629, A58 and the town’s train station provide access to the wider region.

Context

Halifax has a strong and vibrant identity built on its historic origins. It is now undergoing a strong period of transformation.

Regeneration schemes, such as the Northgate House refurbishment and a new sixth form academy, are increasing daily footfall in the centre.

Construction of the new Halifax Station Gateway is improving connections to the town centre, while the recreational sector is expanding through the creation of the new Northbridge Leisure Centre.

Opportunity

• Plans for 318 housing units
• Allocation for 0.8 hectares of employment land
• Key sites at Minster View, Dean Clough and Rawson Mill (outside the SPA), along with the Halifax Town Centre Heat Network.

Investment location – Housing: Excellent housing and regeneration potential in close proximity to Halifax’s urban centre.

Location

The Halifax North Growth SPA includes the area to the north of the Halifax Town Centre SPA, known as Boothtown. It is situated to the north of the Illingworth/ Mixenden and Ovenden wards, with easy access to central Halifax via the A629 or A647.

Context

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet gave approval to develop a long-term strategic plan for North Halifax in January 2022, with the intention to build on current and planned investment in North Halifax.

Creating opportunities to secure further economic investment in North Halifax, to build upon secured funding and local strategic support at a borough level, will increase resilience and enable the area and its residents to benefit from the inclusive growth agenda.

This will improve skills and access to employment, and it will help to address the longstanding challenges facing the area.

The aim is to create a corridor heading out from the town centre towards the neighbourhoods broadly described as ‘North Halifax’, supporting an additional 1,600 new homes.

People’s health, wealth and wellbeing in North Halifax has been particularly negatively impacted by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis is already having a big impact on residents and families here.

Opportunity

• Allocation for 1,600 homes
• Regeneration of existing sites

Investment Location – Housing: A key site that aims to promote inclusive growth and transformational change.

Location

Woodhouse Garden Community SPA sits on the border of Calderdale, nestled to the south of Brighouse and approximately 4km north of Huddersfield. It has strong road links with connections to the M62, as well as the A641 and A6107. The A641 connects the site to Brighouse Train Station, which is approximately 1.2km away.

Context

As a key element of the Garden Village SPA Cluster, Woodhouse Garden Community represents an area where the ambition is to promote inclusive growth and transformational change.

The SPA will form a strategic urban extension of Brighouse, with its own local centre and a variety of facilities that are developed in a highly sustainable manner.

It covers 250 hectares and holds strategic significance due to its strong road connections. Further details on the Woodhouse Garden Community can be found here.

Opportunity

• A substantial housing allocation of 1,300 units
• Plans for a local centre, enhanced green infrastructure and a school
• Infrastructure investments to improve walking and cycling connections

Investment Location – Mixed Use: Brighouse is the second largest town in Calderdale. It has significant employment and housing facilities, as well as a market.

Location

Brighouse is located just north of Huddersfield on the River Calder. It benefits from M62 access, several A roads in and out of its centre, and a train station. The site covers a large area of 2,690 hectares and this already encompasses housing, amenities and green space.

Context

Brighouse has been awarded £19.1m for projects to reshape and reinvigorate the town and to support long term economic and productivity growth through the Government’s Towns Fund programme. SPA status intends to build on the funding from the Government to progress inclusive, sustainable and resilient economic growth, along with recovery from Covid-19. Further details on the deal can be found here. 

Opportunity

• Public realm improvements throughout the town centre to improve pedestrian safety and comfort
• Promotion of walking and cycling routes
• A new modern market with facilities for long term tenants alongside casual and pop-up traders

Investment Location – Mixed Use: Strategic urban extension to Brighouse with the aim for mixed use developments.

Location

Adjoining with Brighouse, the Thornhills Garden Community SPA covers around 166 hectares. The A643 bisects the site, while the M62 and A644 also provide good links to the south of the site. Brighouse Train Station is approximately 1km from the site. The SPA boundary includes Clifton Business Park.

Context

Calderdale Council considers this site to be an opportunity for sustainable development with enhanced local facilities and infrastructure.

The SPA will form a strategic urban extension to Brighouse, with its own local centre and a variety of facilities, while Clifton Business Park is a major regeneration initiative that aims to deliver economic diversity and growth, and to create a wide range of new jobs locally and regionally.

Further information about Thornhills Garden Community can be found here and more information is available here for Clifton Enterprise Zone.

Opportunity

• Strong employment potential with 0.5 million square foot of business floor space and scope to provide an estimated 1,300 new, quality jobs
• Capacity for 1,998 dwellings
• Primary and secondary schools
• Local community centre for mixed uses
• Infrastructure interventions to improve walking and cycling connections

Investment Location – Regeneration: An expansive site with opportunities for housing and employment that will build upon current works to enhance the town.

Location

The Elland SPA site covers a mixture of housing, employment sites and green spaces over 866 hectares. The SPA is intersected by the A629 and provides excellent connections with the M62 to the south of the site.

Context

Plans are already underway to improve Elland's town centre with funding from the Government's Future High Streets Fund.

The aim is to make Elland more attractive with more amenities for people who visit, live or work in the town, including the pedestrianisation of the central Southgate area and improvements to the market square.

SPA status intends to build on the Future High Streets Fund bid to support plans to improve Elland town centre and to make the town centre fit for the future. A new railway station is also planned at Elland and this will strengthen its connectivity with the wider region.

Opportunity

• Allocation for 1,500 housing units
• 36 hectares of employment space across five sites
• Key employment development sites at Ainley Top Business Park and Lowfield Business Park
• Active travel and public transport access are key priorities for new employment sites
• Public realm improvements

Investment Location – Regeneration: A key Calderdale site with a focus on regeneration, cultural prosperity, and improving the existing environment.

Location

Todmorden is situated to the west of Calderdale, with the site covering 960 hectares. It is an accessible site through the A646 and has transport connections to both Leeds and Manchester via Todmorden’s train station.

Context

The priority for the Todmorden SPA focuses on improvements to the existing natural and built environment.

Additional railway services to East Lancashire and Manchester have opened up new opportunities to workplaces and have increased the attraction of Todmorden as a residential area, which has halted the decline in population.

SPA status intends to build on the bid for funding from the Government’s Towns Fund to support plans in developing a Town Investment Plan for Todmorden.

Opportunity

• Allocation for 311 housing units across 10 sites

Environmental Opportunity: An extensive opportunity for environmental enhancement throughout the Calder Valley.

Location

The Calder Valley SPA forks and meanders throughout Calderdale, extending from Mirfield to the Lancashire border. As such, it widely connects with both the urban centres and rural reaches of the region.

Context

Calderdale faces high and constant risk from flooding. Community-level resilience measures and investment is needed to build resilience and to mitigate flood risk, alongside the wider socio-economic impact of storms, such as Ciara and Dennis.

Opportunity

• Climate resilience and ecological enhancements
• Scope to determine what enhancements are best placed to strengthen the region