Upper Calder Valley Renaissance

Upper Calder Valley Renaissance
Valley Team Meeting
6.00pm 3 February 2003
Calder High School

Mytholmroyd Group

The following are notes of the discussion:

• A major objective for the village is to create a focal point, a ‘heart’ for Mytholmroyd


• Part of the new ‘heart’ of the village will be more and better shops in a high quality environment with green spaces for children / families.



• Could the toilet blocks be moved to a less visually prominent position?!



• Car parking in Mytholmroyd possibly needs to be re-assessed



• Mytholmroyd wants to remain a mixed-use community – residential, small businesses (more of them), etc.



• Broadband is required to keep existing and to attract new businesses



• The village could soon (hopefully) have a tourist ‘offer’ that could include: The Ted Hughes Centre, the canal, industrial heritage, walking, Cragg Valley ‘coiners’, etc
  There is a Calderdale Walking Festival in October



• The village – and the Upper Calder Valley as a whole - needs to think about what sort of tourists it wants to attract. Is it day trippers who come by car or those who come by more sustainable means – cycle, train, coach? Should the emphasis be towards day trippers or towards people who will stay a night or two?



• Mytholmroyd would like to link up with the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival – providing venues such as church halls or the Community Centre – possibly becoming a ‘fringe festival’

• The Mytholmroyd Gala
• Dock Pudding Championship
• The intention is to create a marina on the canal and ‘welcoming’ routes into the village



• The regeneration of the railway station is vital to the future success of the village



• Mytholmroyd needs to provide more accommodation / information for walkers – area map etc.



• Could promote cycling – possibly a cycle race up Cragg Valley – the longest continuous gradient in the country



• Mytholmroyd also needs canalside accommodation



• The village needs more affordable housing – whilst prices are cheaper than Hebden Bridge they are escalating out of reach of local families



• It is important to provide better youth facilities, especially for the 11-14’s. This could include finding a space within the village that would attract youngsters, where they will not bother other people, possibly with a shelter and a graffiti wall.