A COUNCIL needs to consider whether to continue financial support for trustees of a landmark building at a time when other services are being cut to balance the budget, a councillor says.

Calderdale Council is half way through its latest two-year agreement to provide funding for Halifax’s Piece Hall Trust.

The historic Piece Hall is viewed as a major success story for Halifax, housing a range of independent businesses and hosting entertainment including a summer concert season attracting big names in music.

However, Coun Abigail White, speaking at a full Council meeting, said the council should consider the funding issue.

The Piece Hall Trust’s 2022-23 accounts show Calderdale Council supporting them with around £450,000 of funding a year.

Coun White (Lib Dem, Warley) said she was as much of a fan of the Piece Hall as most and things going on there were “fantastic”.

But, she said: “I’m becoming increasingly concerned when we seem to hand over money to a commercial enterprise while stripping back some of the really, really important departments.”

Coun White said she was specifically taking about Youth Services, which had seen their budget cut by £124,000 and were “so badly needed by some of the most vulnerable in our society.”

“So as we approach our budget considerations in the coming months, can we all take a moment to sit back and look at our priorities, and where there are lots of ‘nice to haves’ there are some vulnerable people in our communities that are really, really suffering, and this will only add to the huge hole that we have in our Children’s and Young People’s Services further down the line,” she said.

The council’s Deputy Leader, Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) thanked her for her comments.  “It’s something we can take away and consider when we move towards budget setting,” he said.

Cabinet will make budget recommendations to the council in January and the full council will set its budget for 2025-26 in February.

Chair of the Piece Hall Trust, Sir Roger Marsh, has spoken in the past about the need for some public money from whatever source to ensure the historic Grade I listed building remains free to enter.

Running it includes staffing costs and inflationary pressures such as heating and lighting for what has become a “main driver” of Calderdale’s economy.

In his statement in the trust’s latest annual report, for accounting year 2022-23, Sir Roger says its work benefits the community – hosting 15 free community events during that year, and welcoming more than 1,400 school pupils – with its major goal of driving business into Calderdale.