COUNCILLORS will decide on the future of Garden Street at a special meeting of Calderdale Council's planning committee on Monday September 29.
Members of the committee will debate the plans before voting on whether to approve the application, refuse it or defer it to obtain further information.
The meeting at the Kings Centre, Park Road, Halifax, at 6pm, will follow the same format of al
l council planning meetings and will be open to the public and the press.
Developers behind the proposed development have outlined their strategy towards reducing disruption and traffic congestion during the scheme's construction period.
Although building work is expected to take around two years, Commercial Street is anticipated to be closed for around ten weeks only, according to specialist contractor Skanska.
A minimum of 55 temporary parking spaces, equal to the number of spaces currently available at the Garden Street car park, will be provided within the development site during the construction period.
The construction process will be phased to further minimise disruption. A parking area for contractors will be provided outside Hebden Bridge and a waiting area will be set up for construction vehicles so that they can be stationed out of the town and brought in when required.
Philip Bintliff, spokesman for Studio BAAD, the Hebden Bridge-based architects behind the scheme, said: "As a business owner within the centre of Hebden Bridge, minimising disruption and traffic congestion to local residents and fellow businesses during the construction phase of Garden Street is of paramount importance.
"Fortunately, due to its location, the site is naturally self-contained by a high retaining wall, so that the impact on the local landscape is further reduced during the building process. By carrying out the work in phases and liaising closely with both independent traffic specialists and Calderdale Council, every step will be taken to ensure that the construction process goes as smoothly as possible."
Developers are also still urging all local businesses within Hebden Bridge to sign up to its new initiative on www.gardenstreet.co.uk so that jobs and trade go first to local people. Individuals and small or independent businesses can register to become a preferred supplier during the construction phase of the development.
The Garden Street Action Group, which is opposing the scheme, has published the results of its survey of more than 100 businesses in Hebden Bridge.
Out of 122 businesses, 116 indicated they were against the proposed development.
