Calderdale Council has launched a public consultation seeking local people’s views on the future of the Centre at Threeways in Halifax.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, Cllr Jane Scullion, said:
“This is a well-loved building which has provided a much-used range of facilities in the heart of the community.
“The Council is firmly committed to making sure that the centre continues to work for the community, and to ensuring that the centre’s tenants – including social enterprises, small businesses, a church and a GP surgery – can, wherever possible, continue to operate on the site.
“Unfortunately however, the nature of the building provides many challenges. It’s an expensive building to maintain and operate, so future options are somewhat limited but we would welcome creative ideas from the community about how it can be adapted to secure its future for the years to come.
“In particular, we’d like to hear about people’s priorities. We’d be keen to hear what they feel is missing in their neighbourhood and how the centre could be used to meet their needs.”
As the consultation is taking place during the pandemic it is not possible for the Council to hold public meetings, however people can still share their views in a number of ways:
- by visiting the Engage section of the Council website
- by emailing Paul.Rhodes@calderdale.gov.uk
- or by posting comments to:
Paul Rhodes
Regeneration & Strategy
Princess Buildings
Halifax
HX1 1TS
The consultation will run for three weeks, ending on 19 October 2020.
All responses will be considered within a feasibility study and will help the Council to develop a range of options for the future of the centre. These will be shared with the community during a further consultation and then the findings will be considered by the Council before any final decision is made.
In March 2020 the condition of the building led to serious concerns about site safety and the Council was forced to take back the management of the centre.
As the owner of the building, the Council has a legal responsibility to make sure that it is safe for everyone who visits or works there.
The Council has worked hard to improve safety at the building and is keen to secure a financially sustainable future for the centre.
Many of the facilities at the centre were closed during lockdown, however some, such as the foodbank, have remained open, supporting the local community throughout the pandemic.