AMBITIOUS plans to create a new active travel link to better connect the town centre to the Metrodome and Barnsley Football Club’s Oakwell home have been signed off by county leaders, the Chronicle can reveal.
A total of £1,999,173 will be ring-fenced for the project, which was put forward by Barnsley Council and approved by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).
According to documents revealed this week, it will be the next large-scale active travel initiative following multi-million pound work on the A635 through Ardsley and Darfield and the A6195 at Cathill Roundabout.
Active travel - which involves ditching vehicles in favour of walking, cycling or scooting - is seen as a key part of the council’s ambition to reduce congestion, in turn boosting air quality, and improving residents’ health outcomes.
It is anticipated that the construction period will start as soon as January, before a projected completion date of July.
A SYMCA report said: “Barnsley Council are seeking £2m to deliver the town centre to Oakwell scheme.
“Improving air quality and linking people to services and employment are key strategic priorities in Barnsley, particularly as over a quarter of residents do not have access to a vehicle.
“The council’s aim is to make the borough more sustainable so people can get around easier than ever, with an increase in cycle routes and better connections linking people to jobs, as well as for leisure and recreation.
“An inclusive transport network is vital to support a successful and healthy society, and essential in improving productivity and achieving economic growth.
“A series of projects in and around the town centre have been undertaken to improve active travel infrastructure.
“The scheme will connect to the recently-opened Tommy Taylor Memorial Bridge, providing a mile of new and improved shared-use footways and cycleways from Barnsley town centre, via the interchange, to the Metrodome leisure centre and the football stadium at Oakwell.”
Widening routes, the council say, will help accommodate increased footfall on matchdays and improve pedestrian and cycle safety via six crossings and a new toucan crossing.
This includes a signalised pedestrian crossing and amended access to Buzz Bingo to better accommodate the conflict with traffic and footfall.
Coun Kevin Osborne, cabinet support member for environment and transport, said: "We're continuing to invest in active travel to put it at the heart of our communities to help support our ambition of a cleaner, greener and more sustainable Barnsley.
"The town centre to Oakwell scheme will improve safety for pedestrians and motorists, particularly on matchdays when we see high levels of footfall, and make it easier for those making their way from the town centre to Oakwell or the Metrodome whether they're walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling.
"We're also increasing the capacity of bike stands and storage at the Metrodome and Oakwell as well as opening the new headquarters of Barnsley Bike Works in the interchange in the new year, which provides the right infrastructure to encourage and enable the people of Barnsley to travel by more sustainable methods.
"The project complements the investment we’re making to encourage people to be more active through our active travel strategy, working with schools and communities to deliver a stronger and healthier town."
