Next stage of £23m Barnsley town centre regeneration project approved

The project, named The Seam, will see a new multi-storey car park, public realm, and housing built in phases around the existing Digital Media Centre and County Way car parks.

The approved budget for The Seam is £23.72m which will be provided by Barnsley Council and the government’s future high streets fund.

An “active travel hub” is proposed for car parking space on the corner of Eldon Street and Regent Street, which will be constructed during the first stage of the scheme.

A plot of land behind County Way Car Park next to the rail line, has been earmarked for ” family type townhouses”.

A seven storey, 22m high car park is proposed for the car park off County Way, which has recently been used as a Covid-19 testing site, on the corner of Old Mill Lane.

During today’s (April 6) cabinet meeting, councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, leader of the council, said the scheme will help with “moving Barnsley’s economy on”, and attract jobs to the borough.

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“We talk about more and better jobs,” he added.

“There are the areas where a lot of those better jobs and skills can come from.

“Taking people from Barnsley College, taking people from universities that are around us and giving them opportunities that previously weren’t there to develop their skills, their businesses, their ideas, which is just great.

“And hopefully in 10, 20 years time we’ll receive some major international businesses – well more, because we already have some.”