MORE than £25m worth of investment has been completed in Barnsley over the last two years - and bosses say ‘there’s more to come’ with an investment package worth more than £150m currently in the pipeline.
The funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has been supporting capital projects helping business expansion, new housebuilding, improvements to transport infrastructure and flood prevention.
A meeting at the SYMCA board last week revealed that the investment supported the completion of 14 projects in Barnsley which now totals £27.72m from 2023 to 2025.
A further 30 projects across Barnsley are now being delivered or are in the development stages - with investment totalling £153.8m.
The Capital Investment Programme is managed by SYMCA drawing funding from a variety of national funding streams and is one of a number of ways SYMCA invests in South Yorkshire.
Programme funding is also complemented by the four South Yorkshire local authorities using their own resources to deliver other projects in their area.
Investment in capital assets such as roads, buildings, equipment and infrastructure ensures South Yorkshire has the right tools to tackle productivity challenges and provide the right platform to give people and business a chance to thrive in South Yorkshire.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard told the Chronicle: “My job is growth, across all four corners of South Yorkshire.
“That means investing our money in plans and projects that unlock the potential of Barnsley.
“Working with Barnsley Council, I’ve been able to fund £27.7m of capital investment - money to build things, make things happen, and bring some iconic buildings and sites back to life.
“From housing to transport to redevelopment of the town centre, we’re funding significant improvements that will make people happier, healthier, wealthier, better protected, and better connected.
“People don’t always know that it’s the office of the mayor that is behind some of these projects, but I couldn’t be prouder of that work, or of the impact we’re having right across our community.”
Some of the work currently being completed includes widening the Old Mill Lane bridge, redeveloping Barnsley Civic, installing a new 1.2km-long route connecting the town centre via the Interchange to Oakwell and a number of flood defence schemes.
Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, added: “Our ambitious regeneration plans to make Barnsley the Place of Possibilities continue to take shape thanks to funds we’ve accessed through SYMCA, alongside our own investments.
“Our town centre is thriving and we’ve also broken ground on The Seam Digital Campus, which sits in the South Yorkshire Investment Zone.
“The Seam is the driving force behind the ambition in our new Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy to become the UK’s leading digital town.
“Our Principal Towns have also benefited through the creation of new active travel routes to link them to the town centre, providing a more sustainable and connected Barnsley to meet the growing demand for this infrastructure.
“This is in addition to the improvements made around our railway stations at Darton, Elsecar and Penistone.
“We want to make sure that Barnsley remains a great place to live, work, and grow, and are pleased to have received the funding to make this possible and bring our ambitions to life.”
