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Homebuilding in Calderdale has been heading the agenda in Calderdale for at least a decade now – and it is in still in a state of flux.
Councillors adopted the borough’s Local Plan in spring 2023 following a lengthy development process and public hearings – these were interrupted by Covid, meaning some were held online – after being green lit by Planning Inspector Katie Child.
But many of the sites, including proposed “garden communities” totalling around 3,000 homes near Brighouse, around south and east Calderdale, have been very controversial.
In May’s local elections, Reform UK won control of the council from Labour and have pledged to reduce the number of sites and housing numbers, including some which were green belt, allocated for homes – around 15,000 potentially being built into the 2030s under the Local Plan as it stands.
Thornhills Garden Suburb Site
The Local Plan is due to begin a scheduled review process and Reform have pledged to make some changes.
As an example of controversy which surrounds some of the schemes, last week planning councillors again deferred a decision to build 230 new homes near Ellistones Lane at Greetland.
But some big schemes have won approval, as Local Democracy Reporting Service reporting for Calderdale has shown.
They include the go-ahead given in August 2025 to a hybrid application by Avant Homes and J. S. Morton & Sons to build 444 homes on land north and south of Exley Lane, Elland.
Other major developments which have secured planning permission include Persimmon Homes’ approval this summer for a 98-home development at Soaper Lane, Shelf, including 30 affordable homes.
In April 2026, Chartford Homes and Thornhill Estates secured approval for 46 homes at New Hey Road, Ainley Top, comprising 34 houses and 12 flats.
Also this year, councillors approved Gleeson Homes’ 81-home development at Toothill Bank, Rastrick, with a quarter of the homes designated affordable.
In 2025, Calderdale councillors granted permission for a major 288-home Barratt and David Wilson Homes development at Wade House Road, Shelf, including 60 affordable homes.
There have also been approvals for 39 affordable and social rented homes at Field Lane, Rastrick, and a 26-home, 100 per cent affordable scheme off Bowling Alley, Rastrick.
The Bolt Works at Cow Green, Halifax. Picture: Mark Bickerdike. Managed by Placefirst, Bolt Works is Halifax’s first dedicated build-to-rent community
Some recent schemes which have been applied for include a proposal by Springhead Developments for 52 homes on land off Windmill Drive, Northowram, proposing a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced homes, including 16 affordable properties.
And in Greetland, CDP Ltd and Chartford Homes have submitted an outline application for 30 homes on land west of Silverdale Terrace, off Saddleworth Road – the site sits next to the controversial Ellistones Lane proposal and would provide a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes.
Some of Calderdale’s largest proposed developments remain undetermined, for example Bellway Homes’ first phase of the Thornhills Garden Community at Clifton, which aims to provide 308 homes.
Other major schemes in the works include several developments around the former Crosslee factory site at Hipperholme.
Work progressing on site at Beech Hill, Halifax
In terms of developments which have been completed, most have been in Calderdale’s major settlement, Halifax.
These have included a Calderdale Council partnership with Together Housing which has seen more than 100 affordable homes completed at the Beech Hill regeneration scheme.
The development replaced former tower blocks and formed part of a wider regeneration programme.
Another major completed development has seen 126 apartments made available at the Bolt Works development at Cow Green, Halifax – developed with Placefirst, the scheme was described as Calderdale’s first purpose-built, build-to-rent development.