Council committee and cabinet meetings

What does the Council propose to do about the bin issue in Hebden Bridge, following removal of several bins by Calder Holmes Park and reduced collections. Since re-moval the area has become strewn with litter, fly tipping and rodents cited and ig-nored and residents have just learnt that the statutory pest control service was cut. The council has a statutory duty under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, to keep it's borough free from rodents and should not be contributing to the problem as is now evident.

The Public Services & Communities Councillor Durrans replied to Anna Carlton [PDF file 60KB]|

At Cabinet in January 2025 it was resolved that two-day closures would be introduced across all Household Waste Recycling Centres from Autumn 2025, with the full effect in 2026/27. Has this policy now been implemented, and if so can the Cabinet Member confirm whether closure days have been aligned across the borough or staggered be-tween sites¿for example, one site shut Mondays and another Tuesdays. Does she accept that staggered closures risk confusing residents, discouraging responsible dis-posal, and increasing incidents of fly-tipping

The Public Services & Communities Councillor Durrans replied to Darren Commons [PDF file 57KB]|

Council guidance was issued in 1992. Since 2000, The Mill Bank Group's volunteers have worked hard to look after public spaces, sometimes benefitting from cooperation with council officers. Mill Bank was ¿Best Small Village¿ in Yorkshire with gold awards from Yorkshire in Bloom during 2010-2020. However, Council guidance has since been frequently breached; planning controls and guidance are no longer effective; council maintenance and repairs have degraded the heritage character of the village.

Will the council work with the Mill Bank Group to issue guidance, to protect and en-hance the character of the village

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Action and Housing Councillor Patient replied to Michael Beazley [PDF file 59KB]|

Square Chapel Community Interest Company, which closed Square Chapel Arts Cen-tre last February, proposes to rent out the Centre as green rooms for Piece Hall Con-certs from May to September each year and is trying to find someone else to run an Arts Centre in the building for the rest of the time. What action will Calderdale Council take in response to these proposals.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Public Services and Communities Councillor Durrans replied to Pete Keal [PDF file 10KB]|

Following my question to you at last council, you defended the Council's ongoing commitment to the controversial APPG definition of Islamophobia, This definition for-bids Council staff from speaking the truth that there is a clear over-representation of people of a Pakistani ethnicity as perpetrators in the grooming gang scandal. This flies in the face of the Casey Report which clearly states the failure of public services to consider this disproportionality was a barrier in protecting young people. Will you now state unequivocally, to Council staff, that they will not face disciplinary action for providing the full truth, to the inquiry.

The Leader Councillor Scullion replied to Andrew Tagg [PDF file 10KB]|

Why has the Cabinet pursued disposal of The Shay without publishing the

full business case, legal advice, or comparisons of alternative options

considered, and will you now commit to releasing these documents so the

public can see whether Cabinet reached its position independently, or if it was driven by Council Officers under financial pressure.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Resources Councillor Dacre replied to Gordon Thorpe [PDF file 49KB]|

Throughout the works in Halifax Town Centre, multiple businesses have reported that they do not feel they have received effective communication about what is happening on their door-steps. This uncertainty is difficult for businesses, who can only plan effectively if they know what the immediate future holds. What work is the Council doing to ensure it updates stakeholders effectively on the Town Centre roadworks going forward, including businesses, and what les-sons have been learned from the project so far.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Regeneration and Transport Councillor Courtney replied to Councillor Thompson [PDF file 58KB]|

It was good to see Councillor Courtney amongst the 200 or so people who gathered to picnic in Manor Heath Park on Sunday 14th September. The Picnic in the Park event was conceived and organised at short notice by Skircoat residents, so that local people could come together as a community to make clear that racism has no place here.The event was a great success.

Would Councillor Courtney like to join me in congratulating the organisers for seeing the project through to such an enjoyable and successful conclusion.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Regeneration and Transport Councillor Courtney replied to Councillor Hutchinson [PDF file 57KB]|

Frequency and duration of road closures and bus cancellations. People living in the Mill Bank and Cottonstones area have become disadvantaged by frequent road and bus cancellations caused by the repeated failure and repair of water and other utilities ageing infrastructure. Peo-ple without private transport who are older, who have a disability or cannot afford taxis are left at risk or inconvenience when they cant get to work, miss health appointments or are unable to carry out other essential activities. The community can be cut off and without public transport for weeks at a time.

The Council¿s plan for Net Zero is to encourage more use of public transport to help fight the climate emergency. The utility companies carry the main responsibility but have been largely unresponsive to repeated requests for better management. Council Officers say they have little influence or responsibility in managing the consequences. However the Council¿s Streetworks service could act to give utility companies shorter permits or even fine the companies when they overrun. In our experience it is frequently the reinstatement of the road surface after re-pairs that can cause delays for up to five days.

Will the Council develop a policy to make sure utility works are planned and delivered in better ways to limit the harm to this and other communities? And bring together the Council and utility companies with the local community group (The Mill Bank Group), so that residents needs are built into the process from the start.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Regeneration and Transport Councillor Courtney replied to Councillor Webster [PDF file 59KB]|

This Council rightly emphasises how integral scrutiny is to good governance, this is reflected in our new system where Overview and Scrutiny takes a lead on the process. In the light of signif-icant public concern regarding one of Calderdale's most prized assets and the associated finan-cial risk to the Council, the scrutiny committee are inviting the leaders of the Piece Hall Trust to their next meeting. There are significant concerns about their past accounts, including financial losses and irregularities, alongside a deep worry for its sustainability in the future. These ques-tions need answering in an open and honest way in a public form to give assurance to the Council and people of Calderdale. Will the Leader write to the Chair of the Piece Hall Trust to encourage their attendance at the scrutiny panel with them giving full and honest answers to all questions asked.

The Leader Councillor Scullion replied to Councillor Sutherland [PDF file 53KB]|

As at June 2025, there were 2551 empty homes in Calderdale which was an increase of 42 properties on the previous quarter.

Council tax has been paid on 2168 of the 2551 empty properties leaving 383 properties where council tax has not been paid. Using Tax Band A as an average, this equates to

£587,862.87 in unpaid council tax.

There is a significant demand for properties to house homeless people and the latest figures from the Government suggest that local councils have spent £2.8bn on temporary accommoda-tion which is a 25% increase compared with the previous year. Calderdale Spent £73,012 on temporary accommodation for the month of August 2025.

Could the portfolio holder please confirm firstly whether there are any plans to mitigate the un-paid council tax on empty properties and secondly whether it is timely to consider whether CMBC should be looking to help landlords to bring their properties back into habitable condition rather than spending large amounts of money on temporary accommodation.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Resources Councillor Dacre replied to Councillor Prashad [PDF file 74KB]|