Decision

(A)

Building a Care System That Works: Calderdale and the National Conversation on Care

After being put to the vote, the Motion was carried.

RESOLVED that:

This Council notes:

Social care is one of the biggest issues of our time, including here in Calderdale, and the current system is unsustainable for people who draw on care and support, their families, unpaid carers, communities, care workers, providers and councils.

The Prime Minister has committed to fixing the social care system by finding common ground across party lines, setting out an approach based on problem solving rather than point scoring, and seeking to draw a line under decades in which successive governments have failed to deliver lasting reform.

Baroness Louise Casey, who chairs the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, has launched the Big Conversation on Care, giving the public the opportunity to share their views and help shape the future of adult social care in England. The conversation begins by asking people about the values and principles they expect from a care system and will go on to consider some of the difficult questions about fairness, funding and the respective roles of individuals, families and the state.

The scale of the challenge is significant. There are around 1.6 million filled adult social care posts in England, while the 2021 Census identified approximately 4.7 million unpaid carers. In June 2026, around 13,600 people a day were medically fit to leave hospital but unable to do so, with social care capacity contributing to delays, while around 3,000 people a day are receiving care in hospital corridors or other inappropriate spaces because of pressures on capacity.

The number of A&E attendances by people aged 65 and over has risen from 3.3 million in 2011/12 to 5.8 million in 2024/25, growth far outstripping the increase in the older population. Reductions in social care funding between 2010 and 2018 are estimated to have resulted in around half a million additional A&E attendances a year among people aged 65 and over.

In Calderdale, there is much to value in our adult social care system. The Care Quality Commission rated Calderdale Council’s adult social care provision Good in 2025, recognising committed staff, good partnership working and a strong focus on helping people to remain independent.

However, significant pressures remain. Calderdale’s recent detailed scrutiny review of the older people’s care home market identified workforce recruitment and retention, financial pressures, reducing capacity and increasing demand among the challenges facing the sector. Calderdale’s population aged 65 and over is projected to increase from 41,965 in 2025 to 50,995 by 2037, placing further pressure on care services and on those providing unpaid care.

Calderdale has previously sought to recognise care as skilled and valuable work, including through investment to support commissioned adult social care providers towards payment of the Real Living Wage. A sustainable national care system must value and properly support its workforce, as well as the millions of unpaid carers upon whom the system also depends.

This Council has already recognised the vital contribution made by unpaid carers. In November 2025, Full Council passed a cross party motion recognising the financial, physical and emotional pressures experienced by unpaid carers and the profound impact that any loss of the care they provide would have on the NHS and adult social care. The Council also committed to considering the support provided locally to carers and what improvements could be made.

Calderdale also has a strong voice in the national debate. Calder Valley MP Josh Fenton Glynn, a former Calderdale Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and a member of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, has been directly involved in parliamentary scrutiny of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care. Halifax MP Kate Dearden, now Minister of State for the Future of Work, has been directly involved in Government work on employment rights for unpaid carers and in the development of the Government’s Unpaid Carers Action Plan.

This Council welcomes:

The decision to accelerate the timetable for the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, with Baroness Casey now due to provide recommendations for delivering a National Care Service by summer 2027, recognising the urgency felt by people who draw on care and support, unpaid carers, care workers, trade unions, providers and local government, who cannot afford to wait for lasting reform.

The Prime Minister’s willingness to reach across party lines, and the engagement of opposition parties with this process, in the belief that a challenge of this scale and longevity can only be addressed through a settlement capable of lasting beyond any single Parliament.

The opportunity provided by the Big Conversation on Care for the experiences and expertise of people who draw on care and support, unpaid carers, care workers, providers and communities across Calderdale to contribute directly to shaping the future of social care.

This Council resolves to:

Promote the Big Conversation on Care widely across Calderdale, including to people who draw on care and support, unpaid carers, care workers, social care providers, trade unions, voluntary and community organisations and health partners, ensuring that the voices of people with direct experience of the care system are at the heart of Calderdale’s contribution.

Offer this Council’s full support and participation in the national conversation in whatever way is most useful to the Independent Commission and the Government, including through local engagement events, sharing local data and evidence, and drawing upon the findings of Calderdale’s recent detailed scrutiny review of the older people’s care home market.

Ensure that Calderdale’s contribution to the Big Conversation builds upon the commitments already made by this Council in its November 2025 motion on unpaid carers, and upon the work arising from that motion to consider how support for carers in Calderdale can be improved.

Invite Calderdale’s Members of Parliament to work with the Council and local partners to help ensure that the experiences of Calderdale residents, unpaid carers, care workers and providers inform the national debate on the future of social care.

Continue to work constructively with all political groups represented on this Council, and with neighbouring authorities, health partners, trade unions, care providers and the voluntary and community sector, in the spirit of problem solving over point scoring, recognising that lasting social care reform will require broad consensus rather than the priorities of any one administration.

Ask the Leader and the Cabinet Member responsible for Adult Social Care to report back to Full Council on the outcomes of Calderdale’s engagement with the Big Conversation on Care, and on the findings of the Independent Commission as they are published.

(B)

CALDERDALE HOUSING RETROFIT

After being put to the vote, the Motion was carried.

RESOLVED that:

This Council acknowledges:

•              The significant financial pressures faced by local authorities, which limit the Council’s ability to directly fund large-scale housing retrofit programmes.

•              The Council’s previous efforts to improve energy efficiency through programmes such as the Green Homes Grant, Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 and the current Warm Homes Local Grant.

•              The Council’s contribution to the Innovate UK Calderdale Retrofit Challenge Report and the People Powered Retrofit Calderdale Retrofit Guide.

•              The Council’s commitment to ensuring that all residents have access to safe, well-maintained and healthy homes as a core priority of the Corporate Plan 2026-29.

•              The importance of improving the energy efficiency of Calderdale’s housing stock in reducing energy bills and fuel poverty, lowering carbon emissions and improving residents’ health and wellbeing.

This Council notes:

•              Calderdale has higher levels of fuel poverty than the national average, with thousands of households struggling to adequately heat their homes, pay their bills and facing a higher risk of ill health during winter.

•              The Council’s ECO4 Statement of Intent has been withdrawn and the current year two allocation of Warm Homes Local Grant funding has been fully committed, limiting access to active retrofit schemes.

•              Calderdale’s housing stock presents unique challenges, including a large proportion of older stone-built, solid-wall and expensive-to-treat properties.

•              The Calderdale Retrofit Challenge identified the need for a holistic approach to retrofit, rather than isolated measures delivered through separate programmes.

•              Retrofit investment can support local employment, skills development and economic growth when delivered through local supply chains.

•              The UK Government intends to increase Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in the private rented sector to EPC C by 2030.

This Council believes:

•              Residents should have access to warm, healthy and affordable-to-heat homes, regardless of their income and tenure.

•              Improving the energy efficiency of homes is one of the most effective ways of tackling fuel poverty, reducing energy bills and improving residents’ health and wellbeing.

•              Residents should have access to free, impartial and accessible advice to help them make informed decisions about improving the energy efficiency of their homes.

•              The Council should seek to maximise external funding and investment opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of homes across Calderdale.

•              Investment in retrofit should support local employment, skills development and economic regeneration by creating opportunities for local workers, businesses and supply chains.

•              Retrofit should deliver value for money through reduced energy consumption, improved health outcomes, economic regeneration and lower carbon emissions.

This Council resolves:

•              To explore the establishment of a Calderdale Retrofit Partnership, bringing together training providers, local businesses, retrofit specialists, housing providers, health partners and community organisations to support the delivery of a Calderdale Retrofit Delivery Strategy.

•              To produce and publish, within six months, a response to the recommendations of the Calderdale Retrofit Challenge Report and Calderdale Retrofit Guide, including a timetable for implementation where appropriate.

•              To produce and publish, within twelve months, a Calderdale Retrofit Delivery Strategy, coordinating housing, economic development, skills, health and climate change objectives.

•              To work with local training providers such as Calderdale College, employers, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to:

•              Increase the availability of retrofit skills training, including training aligned with PAS 2035 and related qualifications.

•              Explore available funding options such as WYCA’s Adult Skills Fund.

•              Explore the feasibility of establishing a Calderdale Retrofit Skills Hub.

•              To develop local supply chains and manufacturing to ensure skilled local contractors can deliver high-quality retrofit work on Calderdale’s unique housing stock, by making this a priority of the Council’s Economic Regeneration strategy. This will support the delivery of the Vibrant Local Economy Super Key Performance Indicators within the 2026/27 Corporate Performance Framework.

•              To seek to establish a dedicated Retrofit Funding Officer role to identify and secure external funding opportunities, including grants from Government, lottery distributors, the private sector, energy suppliers and charities. To ensure value for money, any proposal should be subject to a business case demonstrating how the role would deliver benefits to the Council. This may include, for example, a requirement that funding secured through the role exceeds the associated employment costs over a defined review period.

•              That the Leader of the Council writes to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero seeking a further tranche of Warm Homes Local Grant funding, making the case that Calderdale faces unique retrofit challenges.

•              To improve public awareness of available energy efficiency support by ensuring that retrofit advice, opportunities and schemes are actively promoted through the Council’s communication channels, including the use of the Council’s advertising assets as per the Advertising and Sponsorship Policy.

•              To assess the feasibility of establishing a Calderdale Retrofit One Stop Shop providing free and impartial retrofit advice, as recommended by Calderdale Retrofit Citizens’ Jury.

•              To prepare a strategy and timeline to improve standards within the private rented sector, including a proactive enforcement approach and support for landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, in preparation for the Government’s intended increase in the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard to EPC C by 2030. This will support the delivery of the Housing Super Key Performance Indicators within the 2026/27 Corporate Performance Framework.

•              To work with Together Housing and other registered providers to maximise investment in the energy efficiency of social and affordable housing across Calderdale.

•              To prioritise support for households most at risk of fuel poverty, including low-income households, vulnerable residents and those living in hard-to-heat homes.

(C)

Rescind the Climate Emergency Declaration and Reallocate Resources to Deprived Communities

After being put to the vote, the Motion was carried.

RESOLVED that:

This Council notes that:

•              Calderdale Council declared a Climate Emergency and has subsequently committed resources, officer time and funding towards the delivery of climate-related policies and programmes.

•              Residents across Calderdale continue to face significant challenges relating to neighbourhood infrastructure, community safety, highways, parking, public realm improvements and local economic vitality.

•              Local government finances remain under considerable pressure and that the Council must continually review whether expenditure is delivering the greatest benefit for residents.

•              The Council passed developments associated with national net-zero policies, including large scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), which generated concern amongst local residents regarding visual impact, land use, fire risk, toxic gas release and industrialisation of rural areas.

•              Many residents have expressed concerns that some cycle lane schemes have seen limited usage relative to their cost, whilst reducing road capacity, removing parking provision and contributing to congestion in certain locations.

•              Environmental policy must take account of local communities, safety, countryside and the character of places where residents live.

•              A number of decarbonisation projects have required substantial public expenditure whilst failing to deliver the anticipated benefits or savings that were originally envisaged.

•              The Council has a duty to prioritise finite resources in a manner that delivers tangible and measurable improvements to local communities.

This Council believes that:

•              All Council policies and spending commitments should be subject to periodic review to ensure they remain aligned with residents' priorities.

•              The declaration of a Climate Emergency has not demonstrably improved local environmental outcomes in proportion to the resources committed.

•              Seven years after The Climate Emergency declaration our focus should now be on practical action, measurable outcomes and value for money.

•           Resources currently allocated specifically to activities arising from the Climate Emergency declaration have never been reviewed to determine whether they represent the best use of limited public funds.

This Council resolves to:

•           To rescind Calderdale Council's Climate Emergency declaration made on 30th January 2019.

•           Remove references to a “Climate Emergency” from Council strategies, policies and communications.

•           Promote the work of the Local Environment Partnership.

•           To request the Chief Executive and relevant Directors to undertake a review of all budgets, reserves, project allocations and officer resources directly linked to the Climate Emergency declaration and associated action plans.

•           Subject to the outcome of that review and any legal or contractual obligations, to prioritise the redirection of any identified discretionary funding towards projects within deprived communities and the services and improvements residents tell us matter most.

•           Reaffirm the Council’s commitment to protecting Calderdale’s local environment through proportionate and evidence-based measures which deliver tangible benefits for residents whilst ensuring best value for taxpayers.

Our aim is not less environmental protection, but better environmental policy – practical, proportionate and focused on delivering results for Calderdale and its residents.

(D)

Fireworks ASB

After being put to the vote, the Amended Motion was carried.

RESOLVED that:

•              The Council Motion below relates to the government consultation taking place over Summer 2026 that proposes restricting the sale of excessively loud fireworks to the general public. Fireworks and pyrotechnics in the UK – GOV.UK

•              This is to reduce noise-related stress for residents – but also to help tackle the anti-social behaviour sometimes associated with fireworks.

•              The template motion below encourages the Council to respond to, and promote, the consultation that closes on 7th October 2026.

This Council notes:

•              That firework displays are common throughout the world and are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations.

•              The ongoing work of Calderdale Council, West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service via the Calderdale Community Safety Partnership which involves year round planning and coordination, education and prevention and enforcement action, working with local community groups, including increased patrols around Bonfire Night.

•              The work of the Safer, Cleaner, Greener Forum in developing a Fireworks Action Plan which includes the use of drones in capturing evidence of anti-social use of fireworks in the area.

•              The rising number of complaints about all year-round noise nuisance from excessively loud fireworks.

•              The impact loud bangs have on some people. Such as those who are anxious about loud noises, people with a disability for whom loud noises can be extremely disturbing and those people suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.

•              Many household pets and wild animals suffer distress as a result of fireworks.

•              Increasing incidents of anti-social use of fireworks – for instance on public land without permission. 

This Council believes that everyone has a right to enjoy firework displays, and the right to buy fireworks for private use. However, Council remains concerned that certain fireworks, freely available to the public, are needlessly loud and anti-social. 

This Council notes the Government consultation, that is currently live, that proposes restricting the sale of noisy fireworks to the general public and instead limiting their use to organised public displays. The public could still buy normal fireworks for private use.

This Council resolves to:

•              Respond to the Government consultation in support of restricting the sale of excessively loud fireworks (above a certain decibel level) to the general public and limiting their use to organised displays, while retaining the rights of the public to buy normal and moderate sounding fireworks. 

•              Promote this consultation to local organisations and partner groups who may have an interest in the consultation. This includes faith, cultural and minority groups; local mental health charities, local animal welfare charities and veterans groups. 

•              Investigate how we can promote and support public firework displays to maximise attendance at these – reducing the need for private displays from private properties that are more likely to take place at unpredictable hours. 

•              Investigate how the Council can use public firework displays to celebrate the cultural diversity of the district and bring residents together.

•              Review the outcomes of the Fireworks Action Plan with a view to extending its operation to other times of year where fireworks are used frequently, such as the summer months.