Decision

(A) Road Repairs   It was moved by Councillor Lynn, Seconded by Councillor T Swift MBE,   After being put to the vote, the Amended Motion was carried.   RESOLVED that:   Council
notes that:   a)
    Over 13 years of
Conservative cuts, councils across the country have struggled to
maintain local roads beyond short-term immediate
repairs.   b)
    Calderdale Council
maintains over 800 miles of adopted highways including a mixture of
urban and rural routes. Years of underinvestment mean some roads in
the borough are in a poor state of repair, causing significant
concern to road users and complaints to the Council and
Councillors. Poor road surface
conditions can lead to physical damage to vehicles, serious injury
to cyclists, and reputational damage for the
Council.   c)     The
Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) conducts an independent annual
survey of local authorities on the funding and conditions of local
road networks. The most recent figures show the average shortfall
in the 2022/23 carriage maintenance budget has increased by 20% to
£7.7 million per authority, with the total shortfall across
England and Wales reaching £1.3 billion.   d)     The Local Government Association
(LGA) has noted that, because of inflation and materials shortages,
the cost of repairing a pothole has increased by 22 per
cent.The LGA has also
reported that councils in the UK face a £14 billion road
repair backlog, reflecting the cost of bringing the network
up to a condition that would allow it to be managed proactively and
cost effectively.   e)
    Calderdale receives
funding from several sources to maintain and improve the safety of
the highway network, including £7,693,310 per annum from the
City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRTVS).   f)
     The Department for
Transport (DfT) ‘pothole fund’ provides additional
funding to address network deterioration, which is not guaranteed
annually. In 2023 this amounted to £778,176 for Calderdale
based on road network length. This will increase capacity for
essential repairs which could not be included in the planned works
programme.   g)
    The LGA have called for 5-year
funding allocations to give councils certainty in developing
long-term resurfacing programmes and other improvements for a more
resilient highway network.   Council
believesthat the
government’s ‘pothole fund’ is a totally
inadequate response to this situation. It comes nowhere near to
replacing the funding that has been removed from council highways
budgets and is aimed more at generating publicity than seriously
tackling a growing problem.   Council
therefore calls on Cabinet to:   a)         Acknowledge
that despite the hard work of officers to maintain the road network
in Calderdale, they are working against years of systemic
underinvestment by the Conservative government.   b)         Ask officers to continue working to keep the highway
network in Calderdale open and safe, prioritising and carrying out
essential remedial works within available resources.   c)     Consider
investment in Highways as part of the Council’s annual
financial planning process, taking into account all available
funding sources. Proposals would be presented to Budget Council in
February 2024. The introduction of new equipment or techniques must
be not only affordable, but also appropriate for the specific
requirements of the rural and urban road network in
Calderdale.   (B) Prioritising Electrification of the Calder Valley
Railway Line   It was moved by Councillor Patient, Seconded by Councillor Tremayne,   After being put to the vote, the Amended Motion was carried.   RESOLVED that:   This
Council notes that:   ·        Calder Valley Railway Line (CVRL) plays a crucial
role in the public transport system in West Yorkshire, with
residents and visitors using it to commute for work and education
and leisure.   ·        Even though CVRL is key to public transport in the
region, it lacks full electrification. The use of diesel-powered
trains is not in line with Calderdale, West Yorkshire Combined
Authority (WYCA) or Greater Manchester’s net zero targets of
2038 or sooner.   ·        An efficient, accessible, and affordable rail
transport system is the backbone of a successful public
transportation network.   ·        Improving public transport and particular rail is
essential to boosting economic growth and reducing inequalities in
Calderdale. The Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority
should take inspiration from successful public transportation
systems locally, such as Manchester's Mass Transit System, and
globally, with successful transport systems driving economic growth
around the world.   This
Council acknowledges that   ·        Calderdale
residents need and deserve an efficient, accessible, and affordable
rail transport system to reduce inequalities, address the urgent
need for action on climate change, and act as a driver for economic
growth. Unfortunately, the approach of the Conservative government
towards investment in rail infrastructure in the north of England
has been characterised by a string of broken promises.   ·        To put
these broken promises into historical context, in 2015 a
cross-party taskforce produced the ‘Northern Sparks’
report, which identified CVRL (Leeds – Bradford
– Halifax – Manchester Victoria) as the top priority for
electrification in the next funding cycle 2019 - 2024. The
Conservative government failed to prioritise and fund this work. In
2018 Calderdale Council became a signatory to the ‘Electric
Railway Charter’, declaring the Council’s
continued support for the electrification campaign. In 2021 Transport for
the North published the Northern Powerhouse rail report, aimed at
improving journey times and connectivity across the region. If the
Government were to invest in the proposals, the benefits would take
over 20 years to be fully realised.   ·        Due to the constant
changes to plans for the rail network in the North by the
Government, progress can be agonisingly slow. The proposed upgrade
of the TransPennine route (Leeds –
Huddersfield - Manchester) is not likely to be completed for
at least 10 years. It is also not
completely clear whether this will include the full electrification
needed to deliver all benefits including reduced running costs,
improved services, and reduced environmental impact.   ·        In October
2023 the Government published the Network North report, following
the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2. Analysis has shown it
contains numerous errors, projects that have already been completed
and proposals which are not fully costed. Within days, Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak was forced to admit the projects mentioned
were just ‘illustrative’ examples of schemes which
might be funded.   ·        The new
train station for Bradford mentioned in the Network North report
would be a positive development for West Yorkshire and should be
welcomed. However, after every broken promise over almost a decade
there is still no mention of the electrification of
CVRL.   This
Council resolves   ·        It will not
put up with being ignored by central government. We will continue
to fight for decent rail services for the people of
Calderdale.   ·        To show
real commitment to boosting productivity and tackling inequalities
in our region. We will work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Mayor of
West Yorkshire, WYCA, and government departments to push for the
electrification of CVRL   (C) Get Home Safely   The Mayor
advised that a Motion had been received from the Labour Group
regarding Get Home Safely.  The Mayor
further advised that an amendment had been received from the
Liberal Democrat Group which had been circulated to the full
membership of the Council prior to the meeting. On receipt of the
amendment the Labour Group, after due consideration, amended their
original Motion to incorporate Liberal Democrat
Amendment.    The Mayor
asked Councillor Ahmed if both himself and Councillor Brundell were
happy to propose and second the incorporation of the Liberal
Democrat Amendment into the Labour Motion.  After being put to the vote the incorporation of
the amendment into the original motion was carried.   It was moved by Councillor Ahmed, Seconded by Councillor Brundell,   After being put to the vote, the Motion was
carried.   RESOLVED that:   This Council notes:   ·       Shift work is widespread in many
industries such as hospitality, health and care, retail, cleaning,
and security. This can often involve late-night working.   ·       Many workers, especially women, are
increasingly worried about their safety travelling to and from work
at night.   ·       Safe and affordable routes home are also
vital for people who go out in Calderdale at night to visit bars,
restaurants, theatres and other hospitality venues.   ·       There are very few night bus services in
Calderdale after 10:00pm to transport workers and members of the
public home, and no services after midnight.   This Council believes:   ·       While employers may feel their duty of
care ends when an employee finishes a shift, they also need to take
into consideration the safety of staff journeys home especially
during unsocial hours.   ·       Enforcement of the law against sexual
assault on public transport is weak and only 2% of victims go on to
report sexual harassment on public transport.   ·       Unite the union’s Get Me Home
Safely campaign calls on employers to take all reasonable steps to
ensure workers are able to get home safely from work at
night.   ·       Greater numbers of trained staff and
stronger enforcement of the law against sexual assault and
harassment on public transport are urgently needed.   This Council resolves:   ·       To ask officers to consider the
development of a voluntary charter for employers of night staff to
ensure staff get home safely after work. This could include bidding
for financial assistance from the Government’s Safety of
Women at Night Fund to help businesses provide their staff with
safe and affordable transport options.   ·       To work closely with the Mayor of West
Yorkshire on initiatives to improve the safety of women and girls
in Calderdale, particularly at night.   ·       To take every opportunity to highlight
the importance of late night and off-peak services in work by the
Mayor of West Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to
improve mass transit in Calderdale. This includes a continuing
focus on affordable fares.   ·       To ensure that the money already allocated to be
spent over three financial years to support co-designed priorities
and actions is effectively distributed across West Yorkshire to
support delivery of The Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safety of
Women and Girls Strategy.   ·       To work with partners to ensure that the 2024-25
funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, via WYCA, is
effectively used in support of the priorities of local women and
girls. Initiatives supported could include creating safe zones to
which they can walk, where they will feel safer and be covered by
CCTV and be in the company of others who can offer safety and
assistance, such as security staff and evening workers.   ·       To provide continued support for Community Safety
Partnership initiatives such as Operation Jeanhaven, Street Angels
and Ask Angela, which build on the 4Ps of Prevention, Protect,
Prepare and Pursue, and aim to retain Purple Flag
status.