The completion of a new town square in Sowerby Bridge has provided a welcoming, mixed-use space for the whole community to enjoy.
People first gathered in the newly opened square during the Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Festival in September. It proved a popular destination on the route, with spaces for performances, stalls, sitting and socialising.
Ward Councillors and the Sowerby Bridge Town Board are now working with community groups and residents to plan a series of further events and activities that will bring the new square to life throughout the year – celebrating local talent and culture.
Calderdale Council has created the multi-purpose space where the old market was and in part of Tuel Lane car park. It links the town and the canal and has facilities for pop-up markets and events, places to sit, new access ramps to make it easier to move around, greenery and rain gardens to soak up rainwater and help reduce flood risk. There are also new cycle stands, additional motorcycle parking and facilities where two new electric vehicle charging points can be installed.
Sowerby Bridge Square is part of the ongoing investment that Calderdale Council is delivering in the town to help it thrive. The square is part of the wider £6.8 million A58 / A672 Corridor Improvement Programme between Halifax and Rishworth, which is being delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The overall programme aims to address long-standing issues with congestion, especially at peak times, and reduce delays for local bus services, helping people to travel in more active and environmentally-friendly ways.
This will see further work along Wharf Street next to the square, with planned improvements to pavements, bus stops and road crossings.
Other proposals will also address traffic congestion and parking and safety issues along West Street, Station Road and Holmes Road.
Alongside the Corridor Improvement Programme investment, the Council secured £2 million for Sowerby Bridge from Historic England through the Government’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme. This was used to preserve and enhance the town’s distinctive heritage features, revitalise the high street and make it safer and easier to walk and cycle in and around the town.
Cllr Sarah Courtney, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, said:
“We’re investing in thriving towns across Calderdale to make the most of their distinctive features, boost the economy and create places where people want to live, work, visit, invest and study.
“Sowerby Bridge is full of character – great heritage, architecture, businesses, things to do for leisure, canal walks, waterways and a real community feel.
“The welcoming new public square is a central space that ties all this together. It’s an inclusive spot for all our diverse communities where they can build a great visit to the town – whether that’s stopping off when shopping or visiting a café, having a rest on a bike ride, meeting friends or enjoying an event. We’ve created a space that helps people to walk, wheel or cycle and live healthier, more active, more environmentally-friendly lives.”
For more information about the work in and around the new Sowerby Bridge Square, including the plans for the Corridor Improvement Programme, visit
www.calderdalenextchapter.co.uk/projects/a58a672-and-a646a6033-improvements(external link)
The improvements in Sowerby Bridge are one part of a whole range of regeneration projects across Calderdale. Find out more about this exciting time for the borough at https://calderdalenextchapter.co.uk(external link)
The Next Chapter work supports Vision 34 – a shared, long-term ambition to work towards over the next 10 years to make Calderdale a better place for everyone, based on the stories that unite us.
The Vision 34 themes are enterprising, opportunity, kind, welcoming, hope, heritage, nature and creativity. Through these themes, organisations and people from all walks of life are encouraged to share their positive stories about life in Calderdale.
Share your story on the My Calderdale Story website: MyCalderdaleStory.com(external link)