Plans in place to help all corners of Calderdale bounce back after lockdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to reveal the government’s lockdown exit plan in an announcement on Sunday.

But closer to home, there is a focus on helping businesses and communities across Calderdale return to normal.

Coun Tim Swift, Calderdale Council’s Leader, said: “We are closely monitoring the rapidly developing situation and will continue to follow national Government guidance, as we have been doing throughout the pandemic. All of our services are ready to adapt as necessary.

“It’s clear that a new future for public services will be needed. We have started to think about recovery and will reassess what is required as we live with the pandemic over the coming months and in the longer-term.

“We will keep encouraging conversations with residents and businesses across Calderdale to make the most of the talent and enterprise that define our borough.

“I am a member of the West Yorkshire Economic Recovery Board, which brings together leaders from a range of organisations and businesses across West Yorkshire.

“Although there is still uncertainty about the future impact of COVID-19, the Board aims to develop plans to rebuild the region’s economy, help businesses get back on their feet, protect jobs and livelihoods, and ensure the impact on disadvantaged communities and the environment are minimised.

“At a more local level, the Council is setting up a recovery group to focus on how Calderdale adapts to the next phase of this pandemic, and supports local businesses and communities.”

Halifax MP Holly Lynch said: “Being in lockdown has been incredibly difficult for local residents, businesses and community organisations, but it has been heartening to see that the vast majority of people are taking it seriously and staying at home.

“I know that many people are keen for some elements of the lockdown to be lifted and the government needs to be honest and open with the public and set out a plan for how this might happen.

“However, it is vitally important that any decisions to ease the lockdown are guided by science and evidence.

“Doing it too soon would undoubtedly cost lives so we must put people’s safety first.”

Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, Chief Executive, The Piece Hall Trust: “It’s clear we won’t re-open exactly as we were when we closed the gates, but we remain realistically optimistic that as we start to understand how we can safely operate - we will reopen our doors soon.

“What is clear is just how important a community asset The Piece Hall is for local people. Whether we’re lighting the building blue or red to show Halifax’s support for frontline workers, or turning the kitchens over to provide hot meals for charity, it’s wonderful to be able to play a galvanising role in the heart of the community.

“Our focus now is to establish how we re-open and how that could be phased. We continue to follow Government guidelines and we are working closely with a chief safety expert and business leaders to create a robust re-opening strategy.

“We are also working closely with Welcome to Yorkshire, the LEP and other key stakeholders to understand what a re-opening in this new strange world could look like, but it’s clear that it needs to be in the context of a national and regional exit strategy for the North and the rest of the UK.

“The independent report recently published by Bradshaw demonstrated just how significant the Piece Hall has been in the last three years to the economy of Halifax and the wider area, and getting crowned as the most iconic building in Yorkshire by the public in a recent Welcome to Yorkshire competition revealed how much the Piece Hall is held dear in the region.

“The borough will bounce back from this awful pandemic and the damage it has caused, with Piece Hall and the wonderful Calderdale community at the centre of its recovery.

“As soon as it is safe to do so, we will be ready to play a key role as part of the solution to the longer-term recovery, not just for Calderdale but the whole Yorkshire region.”

In a statement, the Halifax BID group said: “We’re taking an appropriately cautious approach to predicting what the transition from lockdown will entail, and how smoothly and successfully it’s likely to go.

“Much of what we do over the coming weeks and months will be dictated – or at least influenced – by central government policy, and while we’ll certainly support and encourage businesses in Halifax however we can, we also want to be realistic and honest about what should and will happen next.

“It wouldn’t be fair of us to make promises at this stage, since no UK organisations are sure yet what the best course of action will be.

“What we can say is that we’ll be supporting businesses with a range of measures for helping them return to normal operations and maximum profitability as quickly as possible.

“Many of these will be a continuation – or even acceleration – of the activities we’ve always implemented.

“These will include carefully planned marketing, advertising and media campaigns to promote shopping local and encourage extra footfall in the town centre.

“We’re also looking at ways to help businesses facilitate social distancing on their premises, so they can re-open as soon as appropriate but also remain safe to visit.

“Public attitudes and behaviors will have changed significantly over the last few weeks, and we’ll make sure we take account of this, drawing on all the latest research and guidance available to us.

“Above all, we’re already working closely and pragmatically with our partners like Calderdale Council and the police, developing strategies and initiatives that balance the twin priorities of helping businesses get back on their feet while minimising any risk to public health.”

The Brighouse BID group said: “We have started to create a Town Recovery Plan.

“Our plan includes improving the appeal and attraction of Brighouse for the benefit of all businesses operating in our BID boundary, helping and supporting businesses that have had to temporarily close and/or reorganise their trading model, providing a managed, rapid and effective recovery for our town centre after the extended period of shutdown and optimising the overall experience for consumers on returning to use Brighouse.

“Brighouse BID have also asked visitors to complete a short post coronavirus high street survey.

“Looking ahead to when social distancing rules relax and trips to the High Street are more common, we want to know how the lock down has affected your perceptions of your High Street.

“This survey asks you what roles and core services the High Street and local shopping centres should be concentrating on.

“We know we will need to adapt to the different expectations people have when visiting our high street.

“We also know that the demand for online shopping and home delivery or dedicated pick-up points will increase.

“Social distancing, hygiene and customer order fulfilment will be imperative for the foreseeable future.

“Customers see the “new normal” as local convenient food shopping or home delivery.

“Working from home for many will become the new norm and a significant number of people may never go back to an office or will work a few days a week from home. 

“However, there are big opportunities for our little town. There will be a surge in demand once our movement restrictions are lifted.

“People will be more inclined to continue to shop local rather than driving to retail parks or larger cities.

“People may be more inclined to source local, organic, bespoke produce and products. Please know that Brighouse BID is there to support you.”

The Todconnect group said: “The focus for Todconnect at this time is to share information and resources with Todmorden’s businesses online and through social media about how to access advice, grant funding support, the furlough scheme and protecting staff.

“It is heartening to see as many of the town’s businesses as possible adapting their practices, taking products and services online to meet the changing demands of customers within the lockdown.

“As a group, we are now turning our attention to ideas and plans for how we can work together to come back with a bang, when restrictions are lifted.

“Ideas include a major campaign using our brand ‘There Is More In Todmorden’ to remind people about all the fantastic shops, services, restaurants, cafes in the town.

“Also to work with businesses to put on special town wide events that can encourage customers back into town when restrictions are lifted.

“We are bound, like everyone else, however, by the government’s decisions on lifting restrictions, and our plans have to respond appropriately.”

The Hebden Bridge Business Forum said: “Obviously we want businesses open, we want and desperately need local trade and visitors but we cannot see how we can have all this until it is safe.

“It’s difficult to provide a meaningful contribution to a Hebden Bridge town plan as everything depends on the Government advice, recommendations and restrictions.

“With this in mind we have been working closely with the great team behind Totally Locally to bring a very unique shopping experience to Hebden Bridge via our community not for profit website hebdenbridge.org.

“We feel this would be a UK first - a comprehensive town site with a virtual online high street - and we are extremely excited about it.

“The Calderdale Corridor Improvement Plan that we opposed seems to be going ahead despite our protest.

“We are concerned about becoming a ‘pass through town’ and not one to stop and shop in.

“Has the coronavirus offered the opportunity for the council to push this through regardless of our concerns when they know our attention is on the current global threat and everything else has been parked?

“The flood alleviation work in town is also starting later on this year with preliminary investigations starting next month we believe.

“This will cause major havoc too, so talking about strategy for opening up Hebden Bridge again in a balanced way and applying a safety aspect to protect people will be difficult.

“These are harsh realities and the difficulties and challenges we were facing this year anyway, so it almost feels like the coronavirus was like the last nail in the coffin.

“In our opinion at The Hebden Bridge Business Forum, the voice for the businesses of HX7, the Environment Agency and the council really need to postpone any work within the town for at least a year to allow us the chance to experience any form of normality of trade and encourage people back into town before the bulldozers come in and create even more havoc.”