Calderdale Council's Cabinet met on Monday 09 December 2024 and approved a revised Community Management of Assets Policy, a new Land & Property Asset Management Strategy, and the latest version of the Draft Charging Schedule for the Community Infrastructure Levy. The Council also approved the North Halifax Strategy, noted a deterioration in the revenue forecast, and approved a new Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

The North Halifax Strategy

The North Halifax Strategy lays out Calderdale Council's ten-year plan for the Ovenden and Illingworth & Mixenden wards, which make up around 12% of Calderdale's population.

The report describes high levels of deprivation in the area, saying:

The area has experienced long-lasting, severe deprivation and the wards were among Calderdale’s most deprived communities in the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation before Covid.

The Strategy aims to build on the community spirit of the area and includes six goals:

• Goal 1: A more accessible place for everyone.
• Goal 2: A safe place to live, work and visit that people are proud of.
• Goal 3: Services and activities that are targeted and inclusive.
• Goal 4: A place to thrive and succeed.
• Goal 5: A place where people care for each other.
• Goal 6: Places and spaces designed to work for local people.

The strategy also includes a commitment to greater community involvement in decision making and pledges to work alongside North Halifax communities as partners, with:

A commitment to caring about what happens in these communities ‘as if I lived there’.

During discussions, the Cabinet praised Faye Henderson, the Programme Manager for the Strategy, and highlighted the Ash Green School fire as an example of the community spirit of the area. Councillors said that the model developed for the North Halifax Strategy could be used in other areas of Calderdale.

Financial Position Update - Quarter 2 Revenue & Capital Monitor 2024/25

The report states that:

The Council, in common with local government as a sector, continues to face sustained pressures of increased demand for services, greater complexity of need in local communities and reduced revenue budgets.

It goes on to say that:

This is reflected in the latest forecast position which estimates an end of year overspend of £10.8m.

The Cabinet discussed the fact that the Council's spending on adults’ and children’s services was outstripping its funding.

It was noted that:

72% of the Council’s budget was spent on adults’ and children’s services

and that many residents:

were not aware of those statutory services and expectations, as many people had little connection with them but were aware of highways, parks and waste collections which had to be funded from the remainder of the budget.

The Council discussed the financial pressure the new Conservative government was putting on the Council, saying:

because of central government plans it had been expected that the spending on mandatory services would exceed income at some point and credited local government for putting measures in place to be able to continue services for as long as it had.

The Cabinet expressed an interest in the new Government's forthcoming budget settlement.

Community Management of Assets Policy 2025 – 2030

Calderdale Council approved a revised Community Management of Assets Policy¹. The policy aims to provide a framework to support the transfer of Council assets to community groups.

The report states that:

Calderdale has a proud track record of facilitating community engagement and participation, supported by its well-established approach to the community management of assets.

The policy aims to address challenges that have emerged with existing arrangements, and:

focuses on ensuring transferred assets are sustainable / viable for the long term

and

ensures the policy and framework are efficient and effective for all involved in the process

The Council will consider requests to transfer assets it is not planning to dispose of, but only on a discretionary basis. The Council will:

assess the market value of any property being considered for community management as part of the decision-making process

in order to ensure that:

any proposal for a community management arrangement or transfer at ‘less than Best Consideration’ for the asset is transparent, with the value of the subsidy known alongside the service value or gain that becomes possible because of the transfer.

The policy was developed after consultation with community groups, council officers and councillors, which produced positive feedback:

Overall, there was positive feedback from community groups for the work of the Council, officers and members and appreciation of the commitment to working in partnership.

Land & Property Asset Management Strategy 2025 - 2030

Calderdale Council approved a new Land & Property Asset Management Strategy² (LPAMS), which aims to optimise the Council's land and property portfolio to ensure that it:

supports delivery of the Council’s priorities and the Borough’s Vision

A Land and Property Asset Management Strategy is a document that sets out a council's approach to managing its property portfolio.

The report describes a number of recent achievements, including the adoption of the Calderdale Local Plan, which identifies sites for new homes and jobs, the delivery of energy efficiency improvements through the Re-Fit Programme, and the securing of millions of pounds in funding from the Future High Streets Fund. It also describes the completion of a significant number of Community Asset Transfers, which have:

created opportunities for community groups to become more actively engaged in local provision, while reducing our asset base and our costs.

Despite these successes, the report states that there are a number of challenges facing the Council's land and property portfolio. These include:

• The need to develop a similar focus on the Council's land holdings to the focus that has been placed on managing the property portfolio.
• Problems experienced by a small number of community asset transfers.
• A growing maintenance backlog.
• An increasingly pressured capital programme.

The strategy is underpinned by five core aims:

• ASA 1; UNDERSTAND. A robust and consistent understanding of the whole estate exists
• ASA 2; MANAGE. Effective operational arrangements are in place to improve land and property performance and minimise risk
• ASA 3; OPTIMISE. Options to realise improvements and / or efficiencies are identified, evaluated and implemented
• ASA 4; DISPOSE. Liabilities are reduced and the capital programme is supported
• ASA 5; COLLABORATE. Internal and external partnerships add maximum value

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – Draft Charging Schedule Update 2024

Calderdale Council approved the release for consultation of an updated version of its Draft Charging Schedule (DCS) for the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)³. The DCS sets out the rates of CIL that will apply across the Borough. CIL is a charge levied on new development to pay for infrastructure to support that development.

The report states that:

CIL is a discretionary measure allowing local authorities to apply a fixed levy to all new developments unless these are exempted by the Regulations or zero-rated as part of the Charging Schedule.

The DCS proposes the following rates:

The Council is also required to publish an annual Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS), which sets out how it plans to spend the CIL money.

Calderdale will pass a portion of the CIL receipts to parish councils, where they exist. The Council also confirmed that the DCS would be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that it remains appropriate and that CIL charges would be dissolved if the Council decides to stop charging CIL.

Setting of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme from 2025/26

Calderdale Council approved a new Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS)⁴ for working-age households. The new scheme will reduce the maximum discount on council tax from 81% to 70% and increase the minimum amount payable from £2 per week to £5 per week. The scheme will also remove the second adult rebate. The new scheme is expected to save the Council £1 million.

During the discussion the Council said:

they were regrettably in a position where they were having to make a decision on the CTRS.

The Council went on to blame the 2013 changes introduced by the Conservative - Liberal Democrat coalition for the pressure on local CTRS schemes:

Members noted that originally Council Tax Relief was a national means tested state benefit and was changed under the Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition in 2013. It was further explained that not only did the funding pool become localised it was reduced by 10%. Members did not feel that it was a right decision to transfer these costs to local authorities which had affected the poorer Councils with a lower tax base.

The Cabinet confirmed that the 100% maximum discount for pension-age households would be retained.