Elsecar. The three year Elsecar Heritage Action Zone has ended with a number of successes. It was a three-year programme (2017-2020) resourced and supported by Historic England working with Barnsley Council and the local community.
Barnsley Civic Trust welcomes the adoption by Barnsley Council of both a Supplementary Planning Document of Best Practice – Design and Maintenance for Elsecar Conservation Area and a Local List of Buildings in Elsecar.
A Local List is useful way of ensuring planning proposals respect the special local interest of buildings, structures or sites on the local list and ensures this is taken into account during the planning process.Buildings, structures or sites are selected for inclusion on the local list based on their relative age, degree of survival, rarity, architectural and historical importance, social and community value and group and townscape merit. It’s good that the Local List approach is intended to be extended across Barnsley.
Category: Planning
Article 4 Direction
A second Article 4 Direction has been adopted by Barnsley Council: one relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). It will not come into force until this time next year. Representations can be made with a deadline of 3 July 2020. It’s good to see this requirement for planning permission being adopted.
Westfield House …
Westfield House. Although work to renovate Westfield House and bring it back into use had started, it had stalled and a new planning application was submitted. It is great to hear that a changed planning application has been approved (19 May) and that work can begin again. There had been some concern in the community, however, following discussions with the council, the applicant amended the proposed development to remove all elements of care and to apply for standard residential units.
Consultations – have your say …
There are a number of important consultations being undertaken by Barnsley Council at the moment.
Consultation on additional Supplementary Planning Documents, and statements and plans for Cawthorne and Elsecar.
The consultation is open until Monday 14 October: View consultation
Consultation on the Barnsley West (MU1) Masterplan Framework.
The next exhibition event for the draft Barnsley West (MU1) Masterplan Framework is on Thursday 10 October (3pm-7pm) at St Thomas Community Centre, Gawber. It’s your chance to air your views on the proposal so come along to have your say.
The consultation is open until Thursday 24 October
Barnsley council information on the consultation
View all consultation material: barnsleywest.co.uk
Proposed gyratory planning application
Following additional information provided for the planning application for the proposed gyratory at Penny Pie Park, Barnsley Civic Trust reiterated its objection to the planning application and stated that in our view the proposal does not provide an adequate solution to the present traffic-flow problem.
It does however cause increased noise and pollution by fumes close to existing housing as well as taking away much of the green space used by local people.
Objection to gyratory proposals at Penny Pie Park
Barnsley Civic Trust has made a formal objection to the current proposals to construct a traffic gyratory system at the junction of Broadway, Dodworth Road and Pogmoor Road.
The planning application would see much of Penny Pie Park lost and a three-lane road encircling a substantial part of the remaining greenspace.
We are not convinced from the available evidence that the proposals would solve the existing traffic congestion.
In our view the perceived benefits do not outweigh the level of harm resulting from the proposals.
Comments on bridge replacing jumble lane railway crossing
A decision on the planning application for the new ‘iconic’ foot bridge to replace the town centre railway crossing was made on Wednesday 24 October.
Jumble Lane crossing is due to be closed by Network Rail in March 2019 with a temporary bridge in place.
At a recent meeting of Barnsley Civic Trust, Sarah McHale from Barnsley Council told us that the new permanent bridge is designed by Renato Benedetti (Benadetti Architects) who also designed the new bridge in Castleford. The structure cost is estimated at £5m with £2m from Network Rail and £3m from BMBC.
The bridge will be ‘stunningly’ lit at night and the bridge deck is a 1.8 meter deep steel channel wide enough to cope with large flows on match days.
It has to be high enough for electrification and wide enough for platform extension in case these are planned in the future.
The main points raised at the Barnsley Civic Trust meeting were the nature of the deck and not being able to see out of it, the nature of fencing to the railway (Network Rail insisting on palisade), and the look of the canopy to the ‘funicular’ lift at either side of the bridge for people with disabilities and pushchairs etc.
The meeting, however, liked the bridge and thought that it has come a long way from its first incarnation.
Barnsley Civic Trust conveyed these views to the council and in addition we commented that it appears from the positioning of the ‘funicular lift’ on the opposite sides of the bridge at both ends that people in wheel chairs and cyclist will have to cross from one side of the bridge to the other, cutting across the route that everyone else will take. This can’t be right, can it?
‘Light Lines’ Somme artwork to be on permanent display
Great news that Light Lines – the artwork that commemorates the 300 Barnsley soldiers who fell on the first day of The Battle of The Somme – will have a permanent home in Churchfields Peace Gardens opposite St Mary’s Church.
When it was at the front of the Town Hall, Light Lines received a national Civic Trust Award.
Barnsley Civic Trust planning group has supported the planning application for the artwork’s new location.
We sought confirmation that this was the best site – since in front of the Town Hall might have been an option. We also weren’t sure that having white shiny gravel under the slabs was the best choice bearing in mind the millstone grit of the wall and buildings.
It will be great to have the fantastic artwork on show for the foreseeable future.
Planning
Barnsley Civic Trust makes a point of commenting on relevant local planning applications and responds to consultations on local policies and issues.
To find out about Barnsley Civic Trust’s work on planning issues, see our Planning Page or for news on planning click on the Planning category on the right to see planning news as it is posted.
