Calderdale Local Plan: Councillors asked to approve using special powers to buy land for £12.2m link road for new Calderdale business park

The new road will also support proposed garden communities which could see thousands of new homes built at Thornhills, as indicated in the council’s Local Plan.

By providing a direct route between Clifton Common (A643) and Wakefield Road (A644), it will help alleviate congestion in Brighouse town centre and complement a corridor improvement scheme for the A641 linking Bradford and Kirklees via Brighouse, claim council officers.

When Calderdale Council’s cabinet meets on Monday (March 11), councillors are asked to give their support “in principle” to support the compulsory purchase order option and also side road orders where necessary.

Cabinet is also being asked to agree to submit a bid for funding to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s employment land accelerator fund.

A bid for over £600,000 would fund the next stages of work for the Clifton Business Park, supporting the next collaboration stage of the project, working closely with an appointed developer partner.

Councillors are told that in March 2020, cabinet resolved to make compulsory purchase and side road orders but following this, progress in developing the business park has been “disappointing”.

Bids for Government Levelling Up funding in 2021 and 2022 have been unsuccessful but cabinet have resolved to keep exploring funding options.

It is hoped around 1,300 jobs could be created at the business park by 2035.

The preferred developer is expected to be appointed in coming months and the council will need to be in a position to deliver the link road.

The council needs to be ready as in recent years tardiness has seen ministers refusing to confirm compulsory purchase orders, councillors are being told.

The road will be funded by prudential borrowing approved by councillors for south east Calderdale infrastructure in February, plus a National Productivity Infrastructure Fund grant of £4.45m, which has already been secured, councillors are being told.

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