Illustrative northern English town square at dusk

Area

Regeneration in Calderdale

Follow regeneration in Calderdale, from the Woodhouse and Thornhills garden communities to North Halifax, and see who funds it.

Research checked

The place

Calderdale's Local Plan allocates two new garden communities, Woodhouse in Rastrick and Thornhills in Brighouse, with combined capacity for around 3,000 homes. Cromwell Gardens in Rastrick is delivering 267 homes in three phases, and the North Halifax Transformation Programme is bringing around 241 homes to the Illingworth and Mixenden area. The briefing follows regeneration across Halifax, Brighouse, Elland and the wider valley.

Who decides and delivers

Calderdale Council is the planning authority and the accountable body for Pride in Place, alongside the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's regional funding routes. The Mixenden and Illingworth Neighbourhood Board sets the area's ten-year vision and investment plan. Delivery partners named in the briefing include Keepmoat Homes at North Halifax, Bellway Homes at Thornhills, Yorkshire Housing at Cromwell Gardens, and Together Housing at Beech Hill and Rawson Wood.

What each edition tracks

Each quarterly edition tracks funding decisions, planning progress and delivery across these sites and the Mixenden and Illingworth board. This edition's research was checked on 19 September 2026.

Current edition

Q3 2026

As at 19 September 2026

Funding, places and delivery. A briefing for the organisations bringing forward homes and regeneration across Halifax, Brighouse, Elland and the Calderdale valley. Research checked 19 September 2026.

Regeneration projects in Calderdale

Alongside the garden communities and Cromwell Gardens, a planning application for the first phase of Thornhills, west of Highmoor Lane in Clifton, is pending decision. Beech Hill and Bolt Works in Halifax town centre have already been delivered, and further affordable homes are under way at Rawson Wood in Sowerby Bridge. Together these schemes span Halifax, Brighouse, Elland and the wider Calderdale valley.

Construction and housing funding in Calderdale

National grant and finance decisions for Calderdale schemes sit with Homes England and the National Housing Bank. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority directs its Brownfield Housing Fund and West Yorkshire Housing Investment Fund toward sites including the Woodhouse and Thornhills garden communities, which are also allocated through Calderdale Council's own Local Plan. Locally, the Mixenden and Illingworth Neighbourhood Board controls a separate Pride in Place investment plan, set over a phased ten-year programme rather than as a single fund.

Who decides regeneration in Calderdale

Calderdale Council is the planning authority and adopted the current Local Plan in March 2023, working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on regional funding routes. The Mixenden and Illingworth Neighbourhood Board sets the area's own ten-year vision and investment plan, separate from council-wide decisions. Named delivery partners include Keepmoat Homes, Bellway Homes, Yorkshire Housing and Together Housing.

Brighouse Upper Lock on the Calder and Hebble Navigation Illustrative visualisation, AI-generated; adapted from a photograph by Dr Neil Clifton, CC BY-SA 2.0

Questions about regeneration in Calderdale

What regeneration is happening in Calderdale?
Calderdale's Local Plan allocates two new garden communities, Woodhouse in Rastrick and Thornhills in Brighouse, alongside Cromwell Gardens in Rastrick and the North Halifax Transformation Programme around Illingworth and Mixenden. The briefing also follows completed schemes such as Beech Hill and Bolt Works in Halifax.
How is construction and housing funded in Calderdale?
Homes England and the National Housing Bank make national funding decisions, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority directs regional funds such as the Brownfield Housing Fund toward sites like the garden communities, and the Mixenden and Illingworth Neighbourhood Board separately controls its own Pride in Place investment plan.
Who leads regeneration in Calderdale?
Calderdale Council is the planning authority behind the adopted Local Plan and works with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on regional funding. The Mixenden and Illingworth Neighbourhood Board leads local Pride in Place decisions, while Keepmoat Homes, Bellway Homes, Yorkshire Housing and Together Housing deliver named schemes.
Cover of the Calderdale Planning Handbook

The Calderdale handbook

Planning and building-regulations guidance for the area, published separately.

Read the handbook

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