Town’s stalled regeneration needs new focus says council

Calderdale Council chiefs have concluded that there are too many interest groups in Todmorden and it is time to create one body.

The authority says that a number of groups, set up over the past 10 years, have focused on specific projects or buildings while others look more broadly across the town, such as Todmorden Pride.

This state of affairs has led to a “fragmented and disjointed approach, with no single, shared vision for the future of Todmorden and no overall governance process to drive it forward,” according to a council report to be discussed by Cabinet members on Wednesday.

The report says it is time to change the council’s approach to Todmorden to make it more focussed.

Cabinet members are being asked to agree to the creation of a new Todmorden Development Board to “articulate and drive forward” a vision for the town centre.

It is proposed the new board will work with private and voluntary sector organisations as well as local residents.

The report notes a number of projects which have been hit by setbacks in recent years.

These include a failed bid for £4.9m from the Lottery for the renovation of Todmorden Town Hall.

Proposed supermarket developments have also failed, for various reasons, at a site in Halifax Road and at the Abraham Ormerod land in Burnley Road.

The council has already consulted on its proposals to set up a development board but not everyone in the town has welcomed the idea.

The Todmorden Town Centre Renaissance Board expressed concern about the loss of private sector membership of the proposed board and the possibility of more time slipping by without any developments taking place.

The Renaissance Board cautioned the council against any further consultation and “expressed some frustration about not having been consulted earlier,” according to the council.

A spokeswoman for Calderdale Council said: “It is proposed that a new Todmorden Development Board should be established to develop a clear vision for the town centre.

“The board will include Calderdale Cabinet members, Todmorden Town councillors and local ward councillors and will work closely with local groups to ensure decisions are taken and progress is made on key sites and projects to benefit Todmorden.

“Local groups have already been involved in innovative projects in Todmorden and the Upper Valley, which have helped the town to create its own identity.

“The intention is to build on what these groups have achieved, carrying the town forward as an attractive place for residents and visitors.”

The cabinet member for economy and environment, Councillor Barry Collins, said it was time to inject some drive into the regeneration process.

“Calderdale Council is committed to making Todmorden town centre vibrant and sustainable,” he said.

“There have been a number of proposals in recent years to regenerate the town centre, and we now need to inject some new drive and direction. This is what the development board will bring.”

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for communities, Councillor Pauline Nash, added: “It is always essential that local people are involved in shaping their local community.

“The development board will make sure that local knowledge is reflected in the way it drives forward a vision for the town.”

Local councillor Jayne Booth said: “I welcome any new board which looks at these stagnant issues.

“The whole debate about supermarket (sites) put any developments into neutral for a while.”

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