Performance dashboard

Calderdale is well on track to becoming the best borough in the North. That’s according to the Council’s latest performance review report.

Our reports measure the Council’s performance against 78 key indicators, showing how it is doing against its own targets and compared to other councils. Information on how the Council is performing is available all year round using our interactive Performance Dashboard.

The latest performance report from June 2018 has updates on Total crime, Level 4 qualifications, New dwellings, Direct payments, Care home admission 18-64, and Section 47 investigations. Good progress over the last 12 months includes:

  • A reduction of over 50% in the time between a child becoming looked after and moving in with an adoptive family;
  • A 13% increase in the take-up of two-year-old early education funding over the last two years, placing Calderdale 20th in the country;
  • An increase in Superfast Broadband coverage to 93.6%, and more Calderdale residents having basic digital skills (77% of adults);
  • A 3% reduction in people aged 65+ receiving long-term social care, with improvements in choice and independence for our more vulnerable residents
  • One-third less waste being sent to landfill in 2017/18 than the year before.

Growing the economy

It’s been a really exciting year for Calderdale’s economy. The reopening of The Piece Hall – which has seen footfall of 1.75 million since August 2017 – and other major developments like the new Central Library and Archives and the regeneration of Square Chapel Arts Centre and Calderdale Industrial Museum have led to Halifax being compared to major cities in Europe.

The Council sees this as the start of a transformation, putting the town and the wider borough on the map nationally and internationally as a heritage and cultural destination. During 2017/18 Calderdale’s visitor economy rose by 11%, is worth £328 million and supports over 6,000 jobs. The number of children’s books issued by the Central Library last year was over three times higher than before the move to the impressive new building.

Reducing inequalities

The Council continues its commitment to encouraging local people to be more active to improve health and wellbeing. 2017/18 saw Calderdale being successfully selected as one of 12 pilot sites for major funding by Sport England to increase physical activity and help make Calderdale the most active borough in the North by 2021. The Council will continue to use its unique landscape, parks and open spaces and inclusive activities to help everyone get involved.

Boosting the quality of education also remains a priority. 90% of Calderdale schools are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, and key stage attainment continues to improve at twice the pace of the national rate. Millions of pounds of Council investment into new buildings at Todmorden High School, Copley Primary School and Moorside Primary School will build on this success.

Sustainable future

The winter weather created some challenges in 2017/18, but the Council spread 31,000 tonnes of grit on its roads to keep Calderdale safe and moving. £19 million has been spent on a number of major capital schemes to improve transport and flood infrastructure, and grants to over 1,350 homes and 590 businesses are helping them to prepare and build resilience for any future flooding.

The Council will continue to build a sustainable future by spending around £75 million over the next three years on capital projects for roads, street lights and flood defences, and by building on the great resilience of Calderdale people. Their outstanding kindness is reflected in the fact that 1,500 volunteers completed projects at 200 locations last year, across hundreds of community projects.