Town Teams - Todmorden - "Creating a 21st Century Marketplace"

Todmorden is a market town at the western end of the Upper Calder Valley. The town sits at the confluence of the River Calder and Walsden Water, which runs under the Town Hall.

Background
From a crossing point on the river, Todmorden developed into an important textile manufacturing town. Its former prosperity is reflected by a number of beautiful nineteenth century civic and religious buildings, many built by the Fielden manufacturing family.

With the decline of the textile industry during the mid-twentieth century, the population of Todmorden decreased from 30,000 to approximately 15,000 people.

Todmorden has a large rural catchment area, stretching to the east towards Walsden and along the Valley towards Portsmouth and Cornholme which all rely heavily on the wide range of facilities and services in the town. Whilst local shops are struggling, there is a successful indoor and outdoor market. Some manufacturing industry still exists today, although more recently the town has attracted a young but growing economy centred on small, creative media based businesses.

Housing in the countryside around Todmorden is popular, generating high property values, whilst demand and value for housing within the town centre is reduced due to the poorer quality environment and the risk of flooding.

Todmorden Town Centre
The market building and the Town Hall sit in a sea of car parking. The Town Hall is hidden from the square behind a 1960's 'eyesore' building. Poor quality public realm and dead frontages contribute to the lifeless feel of the town centre. The town turns its back on its two greatest assets, the river and the canal.

Bramsche Square Transformational Project
Bramsche Square should be transformed into a place for people, not cars. The 'eyesore' building on Bridge Street should be demolished to open up a new vista between the Town Hall and the Methodist Chapel. The proposed new Creative Media Centre, in a prominent location in the centre of the square, will act as a catalyst for the economic regeneration of the town.

Rationalising Land Use
Vacant and underutilised sites and buildings in the Valley are generally located close to the river and canal, and within easy walking distance of town centres. One such example is the area opposite the 'Great Wall of Tod,' where there are large areas of derelict buildings, vacant sites and poor quality public realm along the canal tow path.

A New Mixed-use Waterside Development
The area opposite the 'Great Wall of Tod' could be transformed into a new urban neighbourhood with frontages built on the back of the towpath and overlooking a new canalside square. The neighbourhood could contain a mixture of uses and could include workshops, offices, live/work units and a variety of housing types and tenures.

Walsden · Todmorden · Hebden Bridge · Mytholmroyd · Sowerby Bridge