Leaders behind a new-look Calderdale Council have ditched two controversial Labour polices that led to a town hall coup last month.

Evening charges in Halifax town centre and parking charges at the 10 district car parks will all be removed “as soon as possible”, while a “ridiculous” attempt to seek a compulsory purchase order in connection with £2m government-funded improvement plans for the Hipperholme crossroads has been dumped.

No alternative plans were set out for the latter and now economy and environment chief Clr Peter Caffrey said they would now begin discussions with the Department of Transport to see how much, if any of the £99,000 already spent, would have to be returned.

The minority Tory-led cabinet, which revealed their intentions last week, unanimously passed the resolutions at the first meeting of the new cabinet since a vote of no confidence was taken over ex-council leader Tim Swift in July.

The charges of up to £2.40, which were introduced into the car parks in Brighouse, Todmorden, King Cross and West Vale, had proved unpopular with the public while evening charges from 6pm to 8pm in Halifax had badly hit trade.

Commenting on the plan, deputy leader Clr Scott Lloyd Benton said: “They will be removed from the agreed areas as soon as possible. Rates on other areas won’t be changed.”

Meanwhile, Clr Caffrey led the vote to dispose of plans to implement a locally-opposed scheme to improve the A58 Hipperholme crossroads by attempting to secure a compulsory purchase order of land at Christ Church, the Whitehall pub and land to the rear of Wakefield Road’s Tesco Express.

He said: “This issue is well-known to the public, the majority of whom opposed the proposed compulsory purchase order. Any future alternative schemes to improve the crossroads must be approved by the public with a proper consultation.

“We do acknowledge that there is now a risk that we may not get funding from the government for them.”