"Much-needed facelift" to improve high street

The works to improve the layout and accessibility of Wombwell High Street are part of Barnsley’s Principal Towns and Local Centres programme, a £35 million investment project to boost trade and help local centres thrive.

As well as pavement works on both sides of the road, there has been road resurfacing and repairs to sunken pavements.

New litter bins plus anchor points and power points for marke traders have been installed and there has been decluttering of the street scene, as well as widespread painting.

Barnsley Council the programme aimed to make Wombwell’s high street a more attractive place to visit

Their cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, Cllr Robert Frost, also a councillor for Wombwell, said he was delighted to see the outcome of the improvements.

“This project has been a great example of the way we’ve co-ordinated our highway maintenance programme alongside all the improvements to the street scene,” he said.

“It has given our high street a much-needed facelift.

“We want to support our local high streets so more people will choose to do more of their shopping and spend more of their leisure time in their local high street, supporting local businesses.

“We've already invested £5m into our six Principal Towns and ten Local Centres to help them thrive.

“We have plans to invest another £30m into our local high streets across the borough, and we’re working to attract even more from other funding bodies.”

Cllr James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Highways, also a Wombwell councillor, said: “These public realm works are a really significant investment that will improve the fabric of our local High Street and will help to grow and strengthen the local economy.

“The improvements to the road and pavements are part of the £20m+ investment Barnsley Council is delivering to improve our highway network this year; fixing our roads, investing in our communities and unlocking future economic opportunities, as we have seen with these public realm improvements in Wombwell.”