A NEW landmark sculpture on the approach to Goldthorpe has been given unanimous backing from councillors, who cleared the path for it to be installed.

The five metre tall structure has three leaves, each a metre wide, which stand upright to represent the Dearne communities of Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe and Bolton upon Dearne.

Originally, it had been planned to install it in the centre of a new roundabout, between Goldthorpe and the Dearne Valley Parkway, near Darfield.

But those proposals were amended and it will now be installed at the roadside, alongside the mouth of the entrance to a new business park, which is expected to bring 1,300 new jobs to the area.

The decision was taken by Barnsley Council’s planning board and Cllr Andy Wray questioned the reasons behind the change of location.

A report provided for councillors ahead of the meeting did not make that reason clear, but an audit by highways officials had identified the original location as creating a potential hazard, if approaching vehicles failed to negotiate the roundabout and went onto it.

The roundabout’s surface will now be finished with grasses and trees, with the sculpture mounted on a concrete plinth at the roadside.

That will have an anti-vandal surface, to help minimise maintenance.

Roundabout decision: The sculpture designed by Dan and Ailish will now go at the roadside

placeholder image — Roundabout decision: The sculpture designed by Dan and Ailish will now go at the roadside

The sculpture was designed by artist Dan Jones, alongside Ailish Treanor, with the work inspired by the wishes expressed by people living in the area.

The work was commissioned before Barnsley Council changed from Labour to become a Reform-led administration.

It is the latest in a series of art installations to appear in the area, including murals on shop shutters, Goldthorpe’s new town square and public walkways.