Calderdale Council is still keen to develop an enterprise zone at Clifton near M62 despite Government levelling up funding blow

Calderdale Council wants to develop a business park at Clifton, near junction 25 of the M62, earmarked to be one of Leeds City Region Enterprise Zones, but the project remains at the conception stage.

The council bid for Government cash in the second round of Levelling Up Fund money but was unsuccessful.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, Coun Jane Scullion, told councillors of her frustration at the unsuccessful bid, saying the goalposts had been moved after bids were submitted.

But she insisted alternatives were being explored.

It may be possible that a third round of Levelling Up funding, promised earlier in the year by Minister Michael Gove, might be one route of funding.

Recently at full council, Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) said at Cabinet two years ago there was talk of possibly compulsory purchasing land for the site and he understood the Levelling Up round two funding bid had not been successful.

Coun Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said she was not “cross” the Levelling Up second round bid had not been successful, she was “incandescent”.

“I was really angry when I was told that the rules of the Levelling Up fund round two were changed, or changed at the last minute, after we had all spent time and resources that could have worked on other projects,” she said.

The council had received just over £12 million for leisure provision in the first round.

Coun Scullion said applications had been submitted in good faith for the second round.

“And then we were basically told after the event ‘oh, by the way, we ruled out anyone who got money in round one’.

“Just like that they changed the rules, or the goalposts moved, and I felt the fundamental unfairness of that,” she said.

Minister for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, had said there was likely to be a third round and the council awaited details, one of a number of options officers were exploring to move things on, she added.

Coun Scullion said the council was ambitious for growth in Calderdale, good, sustainable jobs which needed sites of a certain quality.

Jobs and homes went together and were needed to address issues highlighted in the latest census of an ageing population, she said.

“If there are opportunities of sustainable development and growth in Calderdale we are still ambitious to try and get them,” she said.

The project, which would be delivered in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), was part of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone programme costing more than an estimated £30 million.

The council has received other funding through the last year, with more than £50 million of funding for projects in Halifax, Brighouse, Todmorden, Elland and Sowerby Bridge from other pots of Government money, and received £12 million towards building a new leisure centre in Halifax in the first round of the Levelling Up Fund.

The Government has recently announced West Yorkshire is one of new Investment Zones and the council is also waiting to hear what this might mean.