As the country moves towards the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, Calderdale Council, in partnership with public, private and community sector organisations, is planning the local recovery and reset of how we will work to ensure a safe future for everyone and to rebuild our place and our economy.
The Government is due to make an announcement on Sunday 10 May about the next steps for the national lockdown period.
The Council will continue to follow national guidance, with safety remaining the priority. However, it has already started to think about Calderdale’s future as we live with the pandemic in the short-, medium- and long-term.
A new local group has been created to lead the borough’s recovery and rebuild, and its first meeting took place virtually on Tuesday 5 May. The Calderdale Recovery Coordination Group will develop an Inclusive Recovery Plan to support the borough’s most vulnerable people and businesses over the coming months and years; to build an inclusive economy; and to progress the Vision2024 for Calderdale to be a place where people can live a larger life.
The group will bring together a wide range of representatives, including the Council, emergency services, the voluntary and community sector, the business sector, the Environment Agency, utilities and the housing industry. It will work closely with the recently formed West Yorkshire Economic Recovery Board, which aims to rebuild the region’s economy and minimise the impact on disadvantaged communities and the environment.
Cllr Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council and Chair of the Calderdale Recovery Coordination Group, said:
“We all know that COVID-19 is having devastating impacts on people’s health and wellbeing and economies throughout the world. As well as continuing to provide vital health and social care and emergency support in Calderdale, we’re also looking at how the borough will adapt to the next phase of the pandemic. Although we still face uncertainty, what is certain is that we really care about our people and our place, and we’ll do everything we can to give them the best, and safest, future possible.
“With the Calderdale Recovery Coordination Group in place, we can really focus on managing the impacts and risks in the next few months and years. But we can also harness the opportunities that have emerged from the ground-breaking work we’ve seen in recent weeks to address long-standing problems.”
Key aspects of the Inclusive Recovery Plan for Calderdale will include how we create safe spaces, safe transport, safe workplaces and safe communities, working towards a safer future.
The next steps for the Calderdale Recovery Coordination Group are to commission an impact assessment and engage with our local communities. This will involve conversations with residents and businesses across Calderdale to shape the recovery and what the ‘new normal’ should look like, making the most of the talent and enterprise that define our borough.