Barnsley to receive £26m cash boost for flooding, travel and town centre

The money comes from the devolved powers of Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis and the leader of Barnsley Council, Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, alongside the leaders of local authorities in Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Over the next year, the cash will be used to fund work on drains and culverts, and flood defences at Lundwood to prevent a repeat of the devastating floods over the last few years, active travel schemes at Stairfoot , Ardsley, Goldthorpe, and Elsecar, as well as a new pedestrian and cycle bridge to link the new town square with the bus and train station.

Part of the funding will be used to support the new Glass Works in the town centre.

The plans are set to be approved by the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority on Monday, March 22.

Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, leader of Barnsley Council, said, “I’m massively pleased to announce that we’ll see £26 million of investment into Barnsley.

“This investment will give our borough and the whole of South Yorkshire a real boost in our journey to recover and move forward from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There will be many meaningful and lasting benefits to our communities; reducing the devastating impacts of flooding, supporting both the environment and resident well-being with new active travel schemes, and driving forward Barnsley town centre’s exciting transformation.

“Our focus is on creating a borough for our residents, businesses and communities that is forward-thinking; that provides opportunities, especially for our young people, to grow and develop. We’ll make the most of our share of the South Yorkshire Renewal Fund from 2022, investing in the areas that make a real difference for the borough.”

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, and Barnsley Central MP , said: “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. That’s why local leaders and I are rewriting the rule book, using powers and resources secured from Westminster to invest in Barnsley’s people, businesses and town centres and high streets.

“We will deliver an immediate investment of £26 million over the next 12 months in the things that matter to people in Barnsley, helping the borough’s recovery from Covid.

“This is the power of devolution: it means we can protect and create jobs, build new flood defences, create stronger transport links and revitalise high streets and towns.

“We’ve started to make Barnsley an even better place to live, work and invest and we believe that our best days lie ahead of us. We have ambitions to go further and we want to create a stronger, greener fairer Barnsley for all. That’s why Barnsley will benefit from the new £500m South Yorkshire Renewal Fund from 2022 to continue the transformation of the borough.”

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