An army of Calderdale Council teams took to the streets of the Upper Calder Valley last week, in three Days of Action to help make the area safer, cleaner and greener and to prepare for winter.
From litter picking to road safety checks, teams focused on the things that matter most and make the biggest difference to local communities.
Local volunteers and partner organisations supported the Days of Action, which were timed to take place in the runup to Bonfire Night and the colder seasons.
Day one on Wednesday 18 October took place in Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Luddendenfoot; day two on Thursday 19 October was in Sowerby Bridge, Ripponden and Rishworth; and Todmorden was the focus of the third day on Friday 20 October.
This was part of a rolling programme of Days of Action which will extend across the whole borough over the next few months. The Council started with the Upper Valley because of its high risk of flooding, with wetter weather setting in and preparations underway. This proved to be timely, with Storm Babet striking on the last day.
Teams from across the Council carried out a wide range of tasks, including clearing litter and fly-tipping, removing graffiti, cleaning gullies, weeding and cutting back overhanging vegetation, checking licensed premises such as pubs and food outlets, doing vehicle speed checks, dealing with illegal parking, checking compliance with planning applications, and visiting empty homes to check for any issues.
Cllr Jenny Lynn, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said:
“Thank you to all the hardworking staff and volunteers for their amazing work throughout the Days of Action, which included preparing for and braving strong winds and heavy rain during Storm Babet, and working from early morning to midnight.
“The work that they did – and continue to do all year round – is so important for local people’s quality of life across Calderdale, and we’ve had great feedback from the public. By tackling the issues that blight our communities, we can achieve our priorities of thriving towns and places, reduced inequalities and climate action.
“We can all play our part in protecting our distinctive borough and keeping it as clean, safe and tidy as we can.”
The Community Protection Team is at the heart of the Council’s commitment to protecting local people and the environment, and does engagement, education and enforcement work all year round.
As well as their proactive work, they also act on issues that blight communities and put people at risk – from preventing anti-social behaviour and keeping Calderdale clean and tidy, to holding businesses to account and taking action when they fail to uphold their responsibility to protect the public and the environment.
This supports the Vision 2024 for Calderdale by making the most of our distinctive borough and boosting its resilience, through the talent and kindness that define our communities.
More Days of Action are planned for other areas of Calderdale over the coming months, with the Upper Valley being the first of five sets of Days of Action. The next set is due to take place in north and east Halifax in November.
The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday and there’s less than a year to go. Where do we want to be by 2024? Get involved with the debate on X with #VisionCdale2024 and find out more at www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision