Council go-ahead to demolish derelict former health centre

Calderdale Council's Cabinet agreed to the demolition and landscaping of the site – with Portfolio holder for Economy and Environment, Coun Barry Collins, claiming that, technically, the building should already have been pulled down in any case.

He said: "We were committed by contract in October 2009 to demolish Rose Street by January 2010. That never happened and the council's new administration is now required to deal with the situation."

Calderdale was given a grant by the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward (YF) to buy the building in order to clear it to make way for a YF-backed Enterprise Centre.

But, following the council's agreement with YF, the Government announced that such agencies were to be abolished and YF will cease to exist by March 2012.

As a result, the enterprise project seems destined not to go ahead. Although a number of local community organisations had also expressed an interest in using the building, no detailed and fully-costed proposals have come forward.

In the meantime, the former health centre has been deteriorating. It has become a target for vandals and both the police and the West Yorkshire Fire Service have expressed safety concerns to the council.

Now, the Cabinet has decided that the building should be demolished.

Site-clearance is expected to be complete by the end of December.

The area will then be landscaped whilst further ideas for development of the surrounding Bramsche Square are explored.

"We hope to work with both Todmorden in Bloom and the pioneering environmental group, Incredible Edible Todmorden, on landscaping ideas for the site," said Coun Collins.

"It is sad that a building like this is going to have to come down but, in the end, there seems little alternative.

"Demolition was part of the original agreement with Yorkshire Forward. If it doesn't happen, the council could be faced with repaying some or all of the original 530,000 grant provided."

Calderdale's Leader, Coun Janet Battye, (Lib-Dem, Calder), said: "We need to take decisive action in order to fulfil our contractual obligation but, more importantly, we're doing this to ensure the safety of the public until a suitable use can be found for the site.

"It is important that when we come to landscape this site, we take into account the views of Todmorden in Bloom and Incredible Edible Todmorden."

Todmorden ward councillor Olwen Jennings, (Lib-Dem), agreed that the Rose Street Health Centre should be demolished: "In fact it should have been pulled down in January," she said.

"The building has become an increasing target for vandalism since December. An empty site would be much more attractive to any developer than the current, run-down building is.

"As the property market picks up I am sure that there will be more interest in developing the site. It is an important site in Todmorden and the first step to bringing about improvements is to get rid of the vandalised building.''

More than 50 people attended a meeting of Todmorden ward forum to discuss the future of key sites in the town – among them the Rose Street centre.

Coun Collins explained that it was impossible to wait any longer to take a decision on Rose Street.

"It's being vandalised constantly, it's a fire risk, the police are saying sooner or later someone is going to get killed breaking in, and the council is having to spend money boarding it up.''