Tuesday, 24 February 2026
News from Calderdale
Report of the Calderdale council meeting of 22 January
from Cllr Jonathan Timbers
This is a very edited version of the last full council meeting. There is lots that I've left out of the report.
The meeting lasted from 6pm to 10.45pm and I could write 50,000 words about it, but doubt if you'd want to read it. I apologise if I haven't highlighted what you think was most important about the meeting.
The Reverend Hilary Barber started the meeting with prayers. He asked us to focus on our interdependence as human beings. He directed our prayers towards those coming to this country in small boats.
We then remembered the lives and contributions of two councillors, both Conservatives, who died recently. The first was the indomitable Geraldine Carter. She always had an eye for a quotable phrase, such as the time when she stood to be Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, with the slogan "Vote Conservative, Get Carter".
I've already written about David Kirton. He was a very decent and intelligent man with whom I enjoyed friendly relations on the council. I miss both of them.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, then spoke. She also remembered the lives and contributions of Geraldine and David. She observed that all politicians want to leave their area better than they found it, whatever their politics. She also complimented the leader of Calderdale Council, Councillor Jane Scullion. She said that she was small and mighty, exceptionally wise and hardworking. I couldn't agree more.
Because West Yorkshire is a mature mayoral strategic authority, the government has devolved £1.2 billion pounds in its integrated settlement to our county. Tracy Brabin mentioned mass transit, Elland station and the new Weaver public transport network. Buses will start to be franchised in 2027 and by 2028 the whole network will be incorporated into combined authority led service. She said her aim was to create a dependable bus network and integration between bus, train, tram and active travel. She expressed her strong support for anti flood defence in Mytholmroyd, Brighouse and Hebden Bridge.
Councillor Tremayne from Todmorden asked the question that I often ask Tracy about permitted services that run across the border to other counties, such as the 590 and the 591. These will not be part of the new franchise structure. She said that her teams were looking at the permit structure and that all regional mayors were working together to make sure that cross-border services were the best that they could be
The council presented her with a petition from the Luddendenfoot councillors to increase train services to Mytholmroyd. Mytholmroyd station has the largest station car park in West Yorkshire, yet only has two trains an hour. The car park is one short ride away from Hebden Hridge. Increasing the number of trains to Mytholmroyd could make it a realistic option for drivers wishing to visit Hebden (along with the park and ride service that Cllrs Patient and Courtney organise at key times like Christmas). Tracy said she will get new powers under the devolution settlement over rail services and will be able to lobby for this to happen.
She said that she was outraged that 67% of the stations in West Yorkshire and not accessible. In the latest round of the "Access for All" scheme, where central government allocates funding for stations upgrades to make them accessible, not one station in West Yorkshire received funding (including Todmorden, which desperately needs better disability access).
On the Green transition and the climate emergency, Tracy said that as Mayor she will see that all social housing will have a free retrofit.
There was a call from Sowerby Bridge councillors to extend clean air zones to hyper local places, like Sowerby Bridge, which has extremely high levels of toxins from cars. I know there are dogged campaigners in Hebden Bridge who would welcome this too. Tracy highlighted the right of every child to have clean air.
On long term youth unemployment, Tracy is working with Alan Milburn to see how young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) can get into the workplace, and off benefits. Apparently, pupils who have four interactions with work experience are 80 per cent less likely to become NEET.
Many of us opposed the Government's Green Paper threatening to cut disability benefits for young people. I led a group of local Labour party activists who responded critically to the Green Paper and welcomed its withdrawal, glad that our UK Government listened to Socialist concerns. We do need to get young people off benefits, especially in the old Coal mining towns. But the Labour way to do it is not to demonise those on benefits and cut the safety net that we should all have.
We approved an increase in members' allowances. Green Party group leader Councillor Hey questioned this, in light of cuts to Council Tax Rebate Scheme, while saying that having a decent allowance was necessary to ensure 'diversity of thought and experience'. In my view, this is cheap and muddled politics. His response should be to follow my lead and donate his rise to foodbanks rather than exclude people from becoming councillors, except the most middle class. Not all councillors are not as fortunate as me and depend on the allowance that Calderdale pays, which is substantially the lowest in West Yorkshire.
In questions to cabinet members, there were questions about wheelchair availability, the Disability Facilities Grant and pavement safety for Blind people.
Councillor Israr Ahmed highlighted the recent successful campaign by parents, supported by Labour councillors, in Calder and Lud Foot, to reject the attempt by Trinity Multi Academy Trust to take over Calder High and Old Town primary school.
There was a motion from Reform councillors demanding that lettings requirements on social housing prioritise local connection. Their motion overlooked the fact that Calderdale doesn't have any council housing so can't write a lettings policy. However, it can try to influence housing providers.
Councillor Scott Patient pointed out that he had already managed to get agreement with Together Housing to prioritise a local connection criterion in lettings, with some limited exceptions. Cllr Dan Sutherland (Reform) objected to the exceptions. The exceptions are people who are statutorily homeless (so the council has a legal obligation to house them), women who have been subject to domestic abuse and British veterans.
There was a Labour motion about road safety, based around implementing a 'vision zero' commitment to no deaths on our roads. Councillor Hutchinson highlighted the importance of enforcement, especially at rush hour and when schools are starting up in the morning. A recent Tory defection to Reform, Councillor Hunt, spoke about his frustration about getting Calderdale officers to respond to his requests for traffic calming measures. Lib Dem Councillor Sue Holdsworth suggested that he may not be approaching officers in the right way and he might have to rethink his approach to casework.
This resonated with me. After winning the by-election back in October 2024, I learnt fairly on if you take a high and mighty position and try to tell officers to act, it gets you precisely nowhere. You have to convince and influence. Local Authority councillors are in a privileged position to do this, but officers can still turn round and say no, unless you get your facts and arguments right. Alternatively, you can try to change the system. But that can take a long time and requires hard graft, and lots of boring meetings, and late nights drafting proposals, to make slow progress. Hardly the stuff of social media.
Next up my report on budget council. I bet you can't wait.
By the way, anyone interested in my wider reflections on the role of Local Authorities in our neo liberal economy might be interested in this article I wrote for Independent Labour Publications, once the Independent Labour Party of Keir Hardie, Selina Cooper and George Orwell.
Previously, on the HebWeb
News from Calderdale: 16 Jan 2026 report from Cllr Jonathan Timbers.
News from Calderdale: New Year report from Cllr Jonathan Timbers.
News from Calderdale: Report of the November 2025 Calderdale Council meeting from Cllr Jonathan Timbers.
News from Calderdale: Report of the September 2025Calderdale Council meeting from Cllr Jonathan Timbers.