Calderdale is an area covering 363 square kilometres in West Yorkshire nestling in the heart of the Yorkshire Pennines. It has a population of 198,500 and Halifax is the main town of the area. Much of the rural west of the district consists of the upland moors of the South Pennines, broken by narrow steep valleys, and containing the towns of Hebden Bridge and Todmorden. To the south and east of Halifax are the towns of Brighouse, Elland and Rastrick. The topography of the district has an important bearing on development opportunities within the district, in particular the limitations on large, flat sites for business or other activities.



Despite the decline of traditional industries such as textiles, Calderdale still retains an important manufacturing base. Service industries have shown the strongest growth, particularly in financial and business services. Tourism also plays an important role in the well being of the Calderdale economy, with the conversion of former mill sites into popular tourist attractions and recreational pastime activities for local residents.

The district has an attractive mixed urban/rural character with areas of outstanding landscape beauty, a variety of urban centres and a rich heritage in its architecture and public buildings.

Calderdale is easily accessible from most parts of Britain. The M62 runs along the South of Calderdale with links to M1 and M6. Visitors from Europe could use North Sea Ferries and be in Calderdale from Hull in about an hour. Regular train services connect Calderdale with Leeds and Manchester, where there are international airports.