Councillors prepare to fight for building facing the axe as part of Calderdale Council cuts

Members of the council’s Place Scrutiny Board, which has a majority of ruling Labour group councillors, agreed to release a Cabinet decision for implementation, meaning some of £2 million annual savings across a number of services can go ahead, including closing some public halls unless community groups can run them.

But councillors argued the case for keeping them open.

Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) said the council spent a lot of money on a review of Brighouse Civic Hall, which now incorporates the Customer First service – it was incorrect most people could use technology and a lot of older people valued it.

The subject of asset transfers to community groups, or running of buildings by groups, had been raised earlier in the meeting by Coun Peter Caffrey (Con, Northowram and Shelf) and councillors heard there had been some good news in that a local historical group had approached the council about running Heptonstall Museum.

Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot), Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, said running at a deficit meant Brighouse Civic Hall had to be looked at and there were other buildings in the town where services and users might go.

But Coun Geraldine Carter (Con, Ryburn) said Brighouse Civic Hall had brought significant tourist income to Calderdale.

It was not accurate to say there was no money to spend on assets as the council had done so recently at Northgate in Halifax, at Elland Library and a loan to the Piece Hall at Halifax, she said.

Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden), Cabinet member for Resources, said it was done on occasions in order to invest but on a basis it would make savings.

Calderdale, she said, had run services like public halls where many local authorities had not done so for a while.

“We are an outlier here by providing more services than many other councils, and we are now in a position where we cannot afford to do that,” she said.

Coun Carter responded saying if loss making buildings were the issue, Halifax’s Victoria Theatre, which is not under threat, could equally be picked for closure.

Coun Steven Leigh (Con, Ryburn) said the council was operating contradictory policies.

He had been attending hearing sessions into Calderdale’s draft Local Plan which if approved would see around 4,600 homes around the Brighouse area over the next 15 years and they would need services like Brighouse Civic Hall.

Coun Marilyn Greenwood (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) questioned the financial viability figures provided for Clay House at West Vale, in the light of community groups being asked to take them on – she said costs looked like being £44,000 a year and suggested they be scrutinised further.

“How many bookings a year would you have to have at the hall to make a profit on this?” she said.

She said if the hall was sold off it could fall into disrepair before it was sold, which would incur expense – this had happened to West Vale civic hall.

But Coun Scullion said: “It comes back to how do you live within your means with a council when the Government has cut year on year on year.

“You are criticising us for a series of actions of being a responsible council.”

Coun Greenwood said it was not criticism but scrutiny and the board was the only place that could be done – some people greatly valued Clay House and closing it did not save much money.

She also said Clay House contained a war memorial. “We have nowhere to lay our wreath now – it is something local people are very, very concerned about,” she said.

Board Chair Coun George Robinson (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) asked whether assets such as libraries and public buildings could be “mothballed” with some prudential borrowing used to cover maintenance costs, allowing the possibility of them re-opening later.

But Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) said: “I don’t think it’s appropriate mothballing libraries in the hope the cavalry will come over the hill.”

Cuts involving libraries and waste services, including whether the council will retain all five of its waste transfer stations, will have to go back to Cabinet for approval or not once more work has been done on the proposals.