Fresh details of Elsecar Heritage Centre revamp emerge

The changes are part of a plan to upgrade drainage at the site, which started life as workshops for the Fitzwilliam Estate’s collieries, before being taken over by the National Coal Board and then re-invented as a historic visitor attraction.

That will see many of a larger public areas, currently finished with a Tarmac surface, getting a new tar and chip finish, using small grey or buff coloured chips, bound with a polymer substance.

Existing paving would also be cleaned with granite setts already in place to be cleaned and refined.

A new seating area, created with dutch brick clay paving, is also proposed adjacent to Fitzwilliam Square, opposite a bar which already has its own outdoor seating for customers.

The new seating area would have raised planter beds and would be expected to have picnic tables and furniture.

The planning application has been made by Barnsley Council, and documents state that furniture was “to be provided by others”.

Because excavations will have to be done to install new surface water and foul drains, a survey has been done of trees on site.

It has concluded that no trees will need to be lost as a result of the work, but has made some recommendations about longer-term maintenance, to make sure they stay healthy for their lifespans.

There are also some details of proposed measures, including the installation of protective fencing, to protect them while work is going off on-site, with a warning that if soil around their roots was allowed to become compacted, it could have an impact on the health of the trees.

The heritage centre has been operating since the 1990s and work is ongoing to improve some of the buildings on site, to provide better space for events.

The visitor centre has also been subject to improvement work and a new, modernised, centre is expected to open shortly.

It had been moved into temporary premises, but they have now closed as the move back to its original building progresses.