Mixenden district centre costing £2.75m to go-ahead after funding approval

Members of the public and press were excluded from the debate at this week’s full Calderdale Council because of financially sensitive aspects of the discussion.

But councillors agreed to include the cash in the council’s capital programme.

Just over a year ago when planning permission for the project was given, the new district centre’s aims were outlined.

Residents should benefit from new healthcare, library and retail facilities all under one roof.

The new hub might provide a doctors’ surgery, pharmacy, library and shops.

It will be financed by a maximum of just over £1.5 million of prudential borrowing, serviced through rental income, to which will be added existing Performance Reward Grant and pooled capital resource allocations already earmarked.

According to briefing papers with the agenda item, a decision on whether to go ahead with the centre had to be made now as previous approvals specifically referred to match capital funding through NHS England’s Estates and Technology Transformation Fund could no longer be progressed.

An alternative funding mechanism via a rent stream agreed by Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group was now available, with scheme costs remaining constant, councillors learned.