Delays mean £34m of Barnsley council projects rolled into next financial year

A report going to cabinet next week explains the council’s final position on its 2024/25 capital programme, which is the budget used for long-term projects such as housing, town centre upgrades, schools, and roads. While most improvements moved forward as planned, others have faced hold-ups that pushed their timelines into future years.

The council’s capital programme for 2024/25 initially had a budget of around £120 million. However, by the end of the year, around £86 million of this had been spent.

The biggest areas affected were the growth and sustainability department, which saw nearly £22 million in delayed spending, followed by the housing revenue account with more than £8 million slipping into next year.

A significant project affected by the delays is the Northern Academy of Vocal Excellence (NAVE), a state-of-the-art facility for the Barnsley Youth Choir. Though roofing work is underway and expected to finish by July 2025, further internal work has been delayed due to additional surveys. The full project is now set to be completed by the end of the next financial year.

The Health on the High Street scheme, which will see a new outpatient department in the Alhambra shopping centre, also faced setbacks. While initial phases are progressing, the completion of the full development has been pushed into 2026. Similarly, the Youth Place and Space project, aimed at upgrading a youth activity park, has been delayed due to planning issues, with work now expected to finish in September 2025.

The Goldthorpe Housing regeneration scheme has also been impacted. Delays in appointing contractors and obtaining permissions have slowed the demolition phase, pushing the overall project timeline to the end of 2026.

Within the council’s housing revenue account, a roofing programme and building safety works have been extended into the next financial year due to the identification of additional properties and regulatory approvals. Meanwhile, the new build and acquisition programme saw a slowdown in purchases, but the council plans to accelerate these activities next year.

The council’s finance director has recommended that the cabinet formally approve the carry-over of these delayed projects into the upcoming financial year. They added that some projects were completed ahead of schedule, resulting in minor re-phasing of funds, but overall there was a net decrease of about £4.5 million in scheme costs due to efficiencies and reduced requirements.

Funding for the 2024/25 capital projects came from various sources including government grants, third-party contributions, capital receipts, reserves, and borrowing, totalling just over £86 million spent..

The report also highlighted upcoming changes in accounting rules related to leases that will affect the way assets are reported in financial statements. These changes are expected to increase the capital programme figures for 2024/25 but will not require additional funding.

Finance officers will provide further updates on the programme in quarterly reports throughout the year.