Danielle Andrews

Grassroots Sports Academy has submitted plans to renovate Carlton Park’s long-vacant 1950s sports pavilion in Barnsley. The proposal includes replacing the existing sports hall with a new activity hall, adding changing facilities, meeting space, accessible toilets, a spectator terrace, cycle parking and energy-efficiency improvements. Biodiversity measures include three new trees, a bird box and a bat box. The planned community sports and wellbeing hub is intended to support schools, clubs and community groups while addressing inactivity and health inequalities. Barnsley Council is accepting public comments until August 7, with a decision expected by August 28.

Rotherham Council plans to introduce a Traffic Regulation Order to make an existing single yellow line on Festival Road in Wath upon Dearne legally enforceable. The restriction prohibits parking and waiting from 7:30am to 5pm on weekdays and is intended to reduce obstructions and improve pedestrian safety around school drop-off and pick-up times. The road marking had been installed without the required legal order, making it unenforceable. No objections were received from residents, South Yorkshire Police or ward councillors, and the scheme will cost approximately £9,000 from the transport capital programme.

Plans have been submitted to merge seven retail units in Barnsley’s Alhambra shopping centre into an expanded Health on the High Street hub. The proposed space would host outpatient and wellbeing services run by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, offering consultation rooms, reception areas and staff facilities. The expansion aims to centralise services in a town‑centre location and shift more outpatient care away from Barnsley Hospital. Additional wellbeing services and a gym operated by Barnsley Premier Leisure are also planned, and residents can comment on the application until July 30.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council approved a £10,000 contribution toward a masterplan to restore the final 14km of the Chesterfield Canal between Staveley and Kiveton Park. Plans include creating a marina at Kiveton Waters, new towpaths connecting to the Trans Pennine Trail, quiet moorings and a flood‑control lock in Rother Valley Country Park, and restoration of the historic Norwood Flight of 13 locks. Options under consideration include a new tunnel beneath the M1 or a series of locks using an existing underpass. Additional features such as a visitor centre, café and boat lift remain subject to further funding and approvals, with full restoration expected to progress over several years.

Rotherham Council approved an agreement allowing parish and town councils to install hanging baskets on lamp posts once they pass independent structural testing, following delays caused by new safety requirements. Several parish councils raised concerns about communication and timing after planning displays and budgets before being informed of testing needs. Dalton Parish Council relocated its flowers to planters for this year. The council opted to support testing costs and permit attachments to promote collaboration with parish councils.

Barnsley Council’s Reform UK-led administration has ended its £100 cost-of-living payments for pensioners and working-age residents receiving Council Tax Support and scaled back the school uniform voucher scheme to only Reception and Year 7 pupils. Leaders cited Government rules for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, which prohibit blanket payments and require assistance to be based on individual need. Officials said the shift aims to target support more effectively, replacing previous universal measures introduced by the former Labour administration.

Barnsley Council faces rising financial pressures in children’s services as the number of children needing care exceeds projections and specialist placements become more expensive. Twenty‑one children are in placements costing more than £8,000 per week, averaging £12,090. Reliance on external residential homes and independent fostering agencies has grown due to a shortage of in‑house foster carers, especially for older children and those with complex needs. The council is investing in local provision and reviewing commissioning to reduce dependence on costly external placements.

Reform UK councillors have proposed a formal flag policy for Barnsley Town Hall, aiming to standardise which flags are flown and when, with the Union Flag remaining the primary year‑round display. The proposal outlines rules for national events, commemorations and exceptional requests, and includes guidelines on flag etiquette and building lighting. The move follows criticism over the council’s decision not to fly the Pride flag during Pride Month, which prompted a protest from Barnsley Pride campaigners.

Residents in Rotherham who keep monkeys and other primates may be required to pay £199 for a licence under new national welfare regulations. The council will consider recommending the fee after rules introduced in April mandated local authority licensing of private primate keepers. Applicants must disclose detailed information about each primate, and council officers will conduct inspections before and during the three‑year licence period to ensure strict welfare standards are met.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said a proposed police precept increase of up to £15 a year for a Band D property is unrelated to a £65 million accounting error in South Yorkshire Police’s finances. The Home Office has granted the force permission to spread £17 million of existing costs over time, but this does not erase its debt or provide new funding. The errors, which involved failing to budget properly for required debt repayments, were discovered after policing responsibilities moved to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. An independent CIPFA review is examining how the problems arose, while Coppard maintains the precept increase is needed to support neighbourhood policing and other services.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council plans to demolish a vacant three-bedroom bungalow in Cudworth Park rather than spend more than £50,000 repairing it. The property has deteriorated since its last caretaker left in 2020 because of flooding, a fallen tree, asbestos and vandalism. Demolition is estimated to cost about £17,400 and would return the land to the park, improving safety and preserving its recreational use. The proposal requires Charity Commission approval, and the council has rejected selling the bungalow because of its ongoing safety risks and lack of independent access.

Barnsley Hospital has identified potential reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in a storage outbuilding while reporting no evidence of RAAC in its clinical buildings and no impact on patient care or services. The hospital is following the national assessment process. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council said its maintained schools are unaffected and that it is reviewing other public assets for potential risks.

Rotherham Council refused plans to operate a children’s home in a three-bedroom property on Rotherham Road in Maltby. The proposal would have accommodated two young people with emotional, behavioural, communication or learning needs, supported by overnight carers and specialist staff. Applicants argued that the arrangement would not materially differ from normal residential use, but council planning officers concluded that the care home would generate significantly more activity and vehicle movements, with insufficient parking and manoeuvring space, making a formal change-of-use application necessary.

Barnsley Council’s children’s services department has reduced average social worker caseloads by 54%, from 37 children in June 2022 to 17 in March 2023, following an Ofsted inspection that highlighted weaknesses in support for care leavers. The council invested £6.5 million initially and £2.5 million annually in improvements, but continues to face fluctuating demand, recruitment difficulties and a high proportion of agency staff. Fifteen agency workers have moved into permanent roles, while maximum caseload limits have been set at 20 children for experienced social workers and 14 for newly qualified staff.

Barnsley voters were due to elect one councillor in each of the council’s 21 wards on 4 May 2023, with results counted during the day on 5 May after postal-vote problems affected the previous year’s overnight count. Labour held 45 of the council’s 64 seats and remained the dominant party, while the Liberal Democrats were the main opposition. The article identifies key contests in Darton West, Dodworth, Rockingham, Darton East and Kingstone, including closely fought seats, incumbent retirements and the contest involving former Conservative councillor David White, who had joined Reform UK.

Barnsley voters will elect council representatives across 21 wards on 4 May 2023. Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are contesting every ward, while the Green Party, Yorkshire Party, Reform UK, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, English Constitution Party, Social Democratic Party and independent candidates are also standing. The report lists every candidate by ward and notes that voters must register by 17 April and bring approved photographic identification to the polling station.

Barnsley Council’s general licensing regulatory board unanimously agreed to consult on a Hackney Carriage Association request to raise the first-mile fare from £4.20 to £4.50 and subsequent miles from £1.60 to £1.80. The association says the increase is needed to address rising fuel, running and insurance costs and ensure drivers earn a living wage amid the cost-of-living crisis.

NHS figures show that 13,648 patients in Rotherham and 12,051 in Barnsley waited 15 to 21 weeks for a GP appointment, while thousands more in Barnsley faced waits of eight to 14 weeks or more than a month. Labour MP John Healey called the delays unacceptable and blamed Conservative government policies and NHS understaffing. A South Yorkshire Integrated Care Partnership report also described primary care as challenged by rising workloads.

Julia Burrows, Barnsley’s public health director, will retire in October 2023 after working for Barnsley Council. The council praised her role in guiding the borough through the COVID-19 pandemic, while Burrows said she was leaving at the right personal time and wanted to support a smooth transition to her successor.

Rotherham Council’s three newly appointed climate-change staff have a combined annual salary of £122,000 to £128,000, according to a freedom of information request. Conservative opposition councillor Joshua Bacon criticised the spending and argued that some of the staff’s work, including educating employees about single-use plastics, could be handled through existing communication systems. Cabinet member Denise Lelliott defended the appointments, saying they support the council’s targets to achieve net zero in its own operations by 2030 and across the borough by 2040, and that the programme involves coordinated work across every council directorate.

Plans by PLK Chicken UK Ltd to open a Popeyes restaurant with a drive-through at Peel Retail Park in Barnsley have been approved. The development will bring a vacant Pizza Hut unit back into use, add a drive-through lane, alter the car-parking layout and update the building’s exterior with dark grey and timber-effect cladding and white brick.

Barnsley Council’s planning board unanimously approved an extension to Birkwood Primary School in Cudworth. The project will add a larger kitchen and a link corridor around the existing hall, while a proposed additional classroom has been deferred because of concerns about its impact on the school’s games area. The scheme also includes demolishing an existing water tower and was approved on April 11, 2023.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes plans to build more than 450 homes on an 11-hectare lakeside site at Waverley, Rotherham, including 149 affordable homes, a waterfront promenade and a proposed bus route. Twelve residents and Waverley Community Council objected over pressure on roads and local services, drainage, green space, safety, and access to schools and healthcare. Planning officers said the road layout and landscaping were acceptable, NHS Rotherham had no objection subject to a new medical centre, and the scheme was recommended for approval by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

Barnsley Council’s planning board unanimously approved plans for 72 homes on the former Belmont Care Home site in Monk Bretton. The development will include apartments and two- to four-bedroom houses, with the number reduced from 76 during the application process. Developers must contribute £400,000 for school places and £121,409 for off-site public open-space improvements. Residents raised concerns about privacy, traffic, parking, road safety and pollution, while councillors offered differing views on the scheme’s design and density.

Barnsley Council’s planning board approved widening a 400-metre section of Wakefield Road from three lanes to four, with the aim of reducing congestion and improving bus journey times and reliability. Councillor Philip Lofts argued that the proposal needed stronger air-quality monitoring and could worsen noise, parking and pollution for nearby residents. Council officers said monitoring data from 27 nearby nitrogen-oxide sensors showed no demonstrable adverse impact, and that the road is not in an air-quality management area.

An appeal has been lodged after Barnsley Council rejected plans for a one-storey community centre and cafe on open land near Mortimer Road in Midhopestones. The proposed facility would include toilets, riding facilities, indoor seating and picnic tables, and would serve residents and visitors from nearby Stocksbridge and Penistone. The council refused permission because it considered the development inappropriate for the open rural setting and warned that insufficient parking could lead to unsafe highway parking.

Bee-keeper Chris Mullins criticized Barnsley Council after witnessing two blossoming trees removed from Wombwell High Street, arguing that the work could harm bees, insects and nesting birds. The council said the trees were in poor condition, had limited life expectancy and were damaging or threatening paving. The removals form part of a wider high-street improvement scheme, with nine new trees planned for local green spaces during the next planting season.

Barnsley Council refused The Pheasant pub in Monk Bretton permission to play live and recorded music outdoors twice a month. Although the pub proposed sound-limiting equipment, restricted hours and measures to address complaints, seven residents objected over noise and disruption. The council’s licensing sub-committee concluded that the proposals would not adequately address concerns about uncontrolled noise or meet the objective of preventing public nuisance. The applicant can appeal to the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days.

Rotherham Labour MP Sarah Champion welcomed the cancellation of 14 planned smart motorway schemes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cited safety and cost concerns. She argued that the decision does not address risks on existing roads such as the M1 in Rotherham, where the absence of a hard shoulder leaves motorists vulnerable. Champion called for hard shoulders to be restored across the motorway network. Existing smart motorways will remain and receive a safety refit, including 150 additional emergency stopping places, at an estimated cost of more than £1 billion.

Sugar Club on Pitt Street in Barnsley had its licence revoked by Barnsley Council after South Yorkshire Police alleged serious disorder, an assault involving security staff and Class A drug possession and supply at the venue. The bar will remain closed while interim suspension measures continue. The licence holder can appeal the decision to the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days.

Barnsley voters are being reminded that photo ID will be required at polling stations for the 4 May 2023 local elections under the UK Government’s Elections Act. Residents can instead vote by post or proxy, or apply for a free voter authority certificate. Barnsley councillor James Higginbottom condemned the requirement as a shameful attack on working-class communities, while electoral registration officer Sarah Norman urged residents to contact the council to protect their ability to vote.

A dispute broke out at Rotherham Council after Conservative leader Simon Ball nominated Conservative councillor Adam Tinsley for deputy mayor. Labour councillors opposed the nomination and backed Sheila Cowen, while councillors from several parties debated whether the role should be above party politics. Following the vote, Taylor was named mayor-elect and Cowen deputy mayor-elect, with both due to take office at the council’s annual general meeting.

The UK Government has cancelled plans for 14 new smart motorways, citing safety concerns and costs exceeding £1 billion, while existing stretches will receive additional emergency stopping places. South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings welcomed the cancellation but called it only a “half victory,” arguing that existing smart motorways remain dangerous because vehicles can break down in live lanes. He urged the Government to restore permanent hard shoulders rather than spend money on further safety modifications.

Barnsley schools face a maintenance backlog forecast to cost £6.6 million over five years, including more than £2.8 million for high-priority work. Barnsley Council has received £631,000 in Department for Education funding for the current financial year, which a council report says is insufficient and unlikely to cover medium-priority repairs. Planned work includes health and safety measures, asbestos removal, roof replacements, electrical repairs, drainage improvements, playground resurfacing and driveway repairs at schools across the borough.

Plans for an extension at Birkwood Primary School in Cudworth, Barnsley, were expected to receive council planning approval. The scheme includes a larger rear kitchen and a link corridor around the existing hall; an additional classroom was removed from the current application because of concerns about its impact on the school games area and may be submitted later. The project also involves demolishing an existing water tower, which planning officers said would improve the building’s appearance.

A 400-metre section of Wakefield Road near Barnsley town centre is proposed to be widened from three lanes to four, including two right-turn lanes, to reduce congestion and improve journey times for buses and other traffic. The scheme would also replace a pedestrian crossing with a staggered crossing, retain existing footpaths and add a bus-stop pull-in. It would remove 13 parking spaces from nearby commercial car parks. Seven objections cite construction disruption, noise, land loss and potential effects on access to businesses, while planning officers argue the works should improve traffic flow without generating additional traffic.

Barnsley Council is expected to approve approximately £100,000 in additional funding to maintain stocks of household and commercial waste bins over the next year. The cost of a standard black wheelie bin has increased from £15.50 to £19.10, while new housing developments are expected to add around 1,250 properties annually, requiring bin sets costing the council about £75,000. Finance officers recommend prudential borrowing after repeated programme overspending, with rising plastic and steel prices driving further costs.

Rotherham Council plans to spend £10.4 million repairing 179 roads and pavements during 2023/24. The council says pothole repairs have fallen from 34,000 in 2014/15 to 12,855 so far in 2022/23, while vehicle-damage claims have reached their lowest recorded level. The article lists the roads scheduled for work across Rotherham’s wards.

Barnsley Council’s planning board is recommended to approve 72 homes on the former Belmont Care Home site in Monk Bretton. The derelict building, which had been vacant since 2013 and repeatedly damaged by vandals and fires, was demolished in August 2022. The development would include apartments and two- to four-bedroom houses. Eleven objections cite privacy, traffic, parking, highway safety and pollution concerns, while the developer would be required to contribute £400,000 for school places and £121,409 for off-site public open-space improvements.

South Yorkshire Police has set aside about £5.8 million for claims associated with the Hillsborough disaster and child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. The force’s police and crime commissioner increased the annual Band D council tax precept by £15, citing inadequate government funding. Simon Ball, leader of Rotherham’s Conservatives, said no reasonable person should be happy to pay for the force’s historic failures and argued that reserves should cover the costs. Police and Crime Panel chair Rukhsana Haleem agreed that taxpayers would prefer not to bear the burden but said the force is required to contribute while government support covers most legacy costs.

Rotherham councillors backed a motion calling for vapes to face rules similar to cigarettes, including plain packaging and restrictions on display, to deter young people and non-smokers while preserving vaping as a smoking-cessation aid. The council plans to work with schools to warn students about the risks of taking up vaping. The motion cited Action on Smoking and Health figures showing that 15% of 11–17-year-olds had tried vaping in 2022, up from 11% in 2021. Conservative councillors supported the motion, although Joshua Bacon argued that it was flawed because some proposed measures were already being implemented.

Hackney carriage drivers in Barnsley have asked Barnsley Council to approve a 30p increase in the first-mile fare, from £4.20 to £4.50, and a 20p increase for each subsequent mile, from £1.60 to £1.80. The Hackney Carriage Association says the rise is below inflation and is needed to offset higher fuel, insurance and running costs, with many drivers reportedly earning below the minimum wage and relying on additional hours and weekend shifts.

Rotherham Council’s planning committee refused permission for six 15-metre floodlight columns at Kiveton Miners Welfare football club. The committee cited concerns that evening use would increase noise and disturbance for nearby residents. Objector Peter Clarke challenged the proposed brightness levels and demonstrated his concerns with a torch, while residents also objected over light pollution and parking. Club representatives argued that the lights would support the development of a long-established grassroots facility, be used only at specified times and operate under agreed restrictions.

A six-foot-deep sinkhole on the Cloughs estate in Hoyland widened after reportedly remaining covered for about ten weeks. Reform UK candidate Brian Gregory criticized Barnsley Council for what he called an inadequate response, while the council said it had installed temporary safety measures and was working with the Coal Authority. The Coal Authority is investigating a suspected collapsed mineshaft, and residents have been warned to avoid the fenced area because the ground may be unstable.

South Yorkshire health services expect urgent and emergency care to be extremely busy during the junior doctors’ strike, which runs from April 11 to 15. The British Medical Association is seeking a 35 per cent pay rise, while the government considers the demand unreasonable. Barnsley Hospital says the strike has caused some procedure cancellations and will affect services significantly, but emergency, critical, maternity, neonatal and trauma care will be prioritised. Patients are advised to attend scheduled appointments unless contacted, use pharmacies or NHS 111 online where appropriate, and continue seeking emergency care when necessary.

More than 300 residents have signed a petition urging Barnsley Council to study a park-and-ride scheme for Barnsley Hospital, where parking congestion has reportedly caused patients to miss or arrive late for appointments. Councillor Peter Fielding criticized the council for delaying the study and highlighted the impact on patients, staff and local air quality. Barnsley Council said an independent feasibility study had been commissioned and that further information would be released after it concludes.

Junior doctors began a nationwide four-day strike on 11 April 2023 after the British Medical Association demanded a 35% pay rise and the government rejected the demand as unreasonable. Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust warned that services would be affected, particularly after the busy Easter holiday period, but said emergency care would remain available and planned appointments should continue unless patients were contacted. The trust urged people to use emergency services appropriately and consult NHS 111 for advice.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has formally adopted the Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy, with Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby signing it. Inspired by recommendations from the 2017 Hillsborough Disaster review, the charter commits the service to prioritising the public interest, cooperating openly with inquiries and inquests, avoiding defensive or dismissive responses, treating people respectfully, apologising genuinely when it falls short, and supporting families and communities after major incidents.

Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham has reopened its refurbished Air Pavilion after a 22-year period of use. Upgrades by Sheffield-based Aivaf include pump-powered rockets, pedal-powered airships, wind-turbine activities, digital information points and interactive air exhibits for children. The project was funded through Rotherham Council’s £20 million government-backed Levelling Up Fund allocation, with the council and Magna presenting the investment as a way to strengthen tourism, protect the site’s heritage and encourage STEM learning. The attraction is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the Easter holidays, from April 1 to April 16.

Arun Rashid, 37, was fined £1,666 by Sheffield Magistrates after arranging for building waste from renovation work in Rotherham to be dumped at the former Millside Centre in Dalton in July 2022. He was also ordered to pay £482 in court costs and a £666 victim surcharge. Rotherham Council traced him through electrical fittings found in the waste; the site was cleared nearly four months after dumping began.

Rotherham town centre will host the free UPLIFT Skate and Art Festival from 5 to 7 April 2023 during the Easter holidays. The event will include a roller rink, skateboarding and BMX arenas, professional demonstrations, DJs, live bands, street food and a teenage market offering free stalls to people aged 16 to 25. Rotherham Council is encouraging families and young people to attend and take part in the activities.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman visited Dinnington to discuss legislation that would make failing to report suspected child sexual exploitation a criminal offence for safeguarding professionals. She met Rotherham CSE survivor Sammy Woodhouse and Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford, who highlighted the 2014 findings that around 1,400 children had been abused in Rotherham. Stafford also said he planned to introduce a parliamentary bill barring people implicated in child sexual exploitation from public office.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has banned TikTok on all corporate devices, following the UK government’s policy prohibiting the app on government electronic devices because of concerns about access to sensitive data. Staff may use TikTok on personal or separate devices, and communications staff must use non-corporate equipment. TikTok denies that its app poses a security risk. The service’s account has nearly 152,000 followers and previously attracted attention for a Pride video.

Barnsley Council will conduct a full review of Sugar Club’s licence on April 6 after South Yorkshire Police alleged serious crime and disorder at the Pitt Street venue. The allegations include underage teenagers on the premises, significant disorder, an assault by a security guard, and the possession and suspected supply of Class A drugs. Police will present CCTV evidence and have requested interim measures including suspension of the licence while the review proceeds.