DEVELOPING a new business park close to the M62 motorway remains a priority for a council, despite missing out on Levelling Up funding for the project.

Calderdale Council wants to develop a business park at Clifton, near Brighouse, earmarked to be one of Leeds City Region Enterprise Zones, but the project remains at the conception stage.

The council bid for money in the second round of Levelling Up Fund money but was unsuccessful.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, Coun Jane Scullion, told councillors of her frustration at the unsuccessful bid, saying the goalposts had bee moved after bids were submitted, and that alternatives were being explored.

It may be possible that a third round of Levelling Up funding, promised earlier in the year by Minister Michael Gove, might be one route of funding.

Recently at full council, Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) said at Cabinet two years ago there was talk of possibly compulsory purchasing land for the site and he understood the Levelling Up round two funding bid had not been successful.

He asked for an update on the situation.

Coun Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said she was not “cross” the Levelling Up second round bid had not been successful, she was “incandescent”.

“I was really angry when I was told that the rules of the Levelling Up fund round two were changed, or changed at the last minute, after we had all spent time and resources that could have worked on other projects,” she said.

The council had received just over £12 million for leisure provision in the first round.

Coun Scullion said applications had been submitted in good faith for the second round.

“And then we were basically told after the event ‘oh, by the way, we ruled out anyone who got money in round one’.

“Just like that they changed the rules, or the goalposts moved, and I felt the fundamental unfairness of that,” she said.

Minister for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, had said there was likely to be a third round and the council awaited details, one of a number of options officers were exploring to move things on, she said.

Coun Scullion said the council was ambitious for growth in Calderdale, good, sustainable jobs which needed sites of a certain quality.

Jobs and homes went together and were needed to address issues highlighted in the latest census of an ageing population, she said.

“If there are opportunities of sustainable development and growth in Calderdale we are still ambitious to try and get them,” she said.

The Government has recently announced West Yorkshire is one of new Investment Zones and the council is also waiting to hear what this might mean.