North Halifax residents will now receive community services on the same basis as the rest of Calderdale after the council decided to bring the provision under direct management.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet has endorsed plans to restructure the borough’s neighbourhood teams, which operate to maintain community safety.
The service encompasses staff who work alongside partner agencies, including the police, and address matters such as unlawful waste disposal and behaviour causing distress to residents.
The teams also engage with community organisations on environmental initiatives including litter clearance schemes and neighbourhood improvement projects.
Additionally, they provide assistance with housing needs alongside guidance on employment, welfare entitlements, health matters and financial difficulties.
Throughout most of Calderdale, these services have operated internally for some time.
However, the arrangement covering four specific wards, namely Mixenden, Ovenden, Warley and the Northowram and Shelf area situated near the Bradford boundary, had operated under separate commissioning.
North Halifax Partnership has provided these services under contract and delivered them effectively, with the council expressing no concerns about the organisation’s performance.
Nevertheless, the delivery method had varied, creating inconsistency across the borough that had persisted for an extended period.
Councillor Peter Hunt, the Cabinet member responsible for Public Services representing Elland for Reform UK, stated that the report recognised gaps in how services had been delivered and commissioned differently compared to other areas.
Maintaining the existing arrangement would perpetuate these discrepancies.
According to Councillor Hunt, residents who had raised concerns about community safety were justified in questioning why north Halifax had been served under a distinct arrangement for so long.
He said the authority should not have permitted that area to remain outside standard service provision.
Cabinet members voted to accept the annual contract valued at £169,510 back into direct council management.
This funding will be consolidated into a broader budget of £801,300 allocated for neighbourhood services throughout the borough.
The integration aims to establish uniform practices and subject the provision to a comprehensive service review aligned with available resources and the council’s strategic objectives.
Officers advised that careful attention would be required to prevent disadvantage to north Halifax wards.
Their assessment highlighted that several of these wards experience greater levels of deprivation relative to other parts of the borough.
A further consideration noted that relocating the Neighbourhood Team from a local community organisation based at the Mixenden Activity Centre could potentially distance services from a community already facing challenges.
Councillor Hunt indicated that the transition would deliver fresh investment and enhanced oversight.
Council officers committed to efforts aimed at preserving a physical presence for the Neighbourhood Team within the affected ward areas.
North Halifax Partnership functions as a charitable organisation led by the community, dedicated to uniting individuals and groups to enhance health, welfare and opportunities.