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New bid to win over doubters on plans to revitalise town centre
NEW artist’s impressions of the proposed Central Library and Archive will go on display in Halifax this week when people will have a further chance to have their say on the controversial plans.
Residents will be able to see the latest drawings and talk to councillors and officers from the council about the proposals at a special event on Thursday.
The plans are part of wider proposals to revitalise the town centre, which would see the disposal of the whole of the Northgate site, currently occupied by the council offices and the Central Library and Archive.
The site would then be available for a new shopping development incorporating big-name retailers.
Before the council moved out of the Central Library and Archive, a new library and archive would be built on the Square Spire site, next to the historic Piece Hall.
Thursday’s event is part of the second stage of a consultation asking people their opinion on Northgate site and the revitalisation of the town centre.
In the first phase of the consultation hundreds of people have already responded to a questionnaire on what they would like to see in the library.
The public drop in session, will be held at the Central Library and Archive on Thursday between 2pm and 7pm
Calderdale’s cabinet says it wants Halifax to be a vibrant town centre with facilities able to attract visitors from further afield. A recent independent report says that towns which invest in new shops attract more visitors, while those which don’t fall into decline.
The fear expressed is that Halifax is in the latter category but the proposals have attracted adverse publicity with more than 1,000 people signing a petition on Saturday opposing the plans saying they would prefer to see the existing library restored.
Coordinator Anne Kirker said: “If that doesn’t sound very impressive, then consider that, on a national scale, it would represent around 500,000 signatures. Nationally, petitions of over 100,000, over several weeks, lead to a debate in Parliament.”
She said that if anything, there was more anger and dismay over the current proposals than over the plans to demolish the library in 2009, when 16,000 signatures were gathered over several weeks.
Cabinet believes the best way to breathe new energy into the town centre is to redevelop the Northgate site – an area large enough to attract big retailers.
The council is already committed to moving out of the Northgate offices built just 30 years ago which are too big for its needs and which are in desperate need of refurbishment costing millions of pounds and which are expensive to run.
As part of the consultation, the council has also been asking a wide range of groups for their opinions, including: readers’ groups, Halifax Antiquarian Society and local businesses.
Calderdale’s leader, Coun Janet Battye, says the new visuals will give people a much better idea of how the proposed new library and archive would look.
She said: “We have a vision for the future of Halifax which combines new retail, a new library, and the transformation of the Piece Hall.
“Before people make up their minds on the proposals, I’d like them to see just what we have got on offer – a fantastic new library, which will be followed by fantastic new shops.
Deputy leader Coun Tim Swift added: “We believe these proposals are the next steps in delivering Streets Ahead, the vision set out by Halifax Town Team and adopted by the council for reshaping the town centre over the next 25 years.
“This has already helped drive forward important projects like Somerset House (an historic Georgian property transformed into a top-notch eaterie), the Square Chapel Cornerstone proposal and the £45m Broad Street development in the town centre, and it underpins the Piece Hall transformation project.”
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