PLANS for a landmark sculpture on the approach to Goldthorpe will be considered by councillors - with a recommendation they go ahead with the scheme.

The proposal is to put a distinctive sculpture alongside the A635, to give access to a new industrial estate, yet to be built on former farmland alongside the carriageway between Goldthorpe and the Dearne Towns link road.

Originally, the plan was to mount the artwork on the roundabout but that idea was ditched on the advice of council highways experts.

The sculpture will be constructed from three steel panels and is the work of a local artist.

It will be mounted on a concrete plinth, if approved, around eight metres from the footpath alongside the road.

According to the application, the site for proposed installation is “washed over by Green Belt”.

There have been no objections to the current plan, with highways officials satisfied that the location of the sculpture would “not have any meaningful impact on highway safety”.

An assessment by planners states that “whilst being tall in height, the sculpture will not adversely impact the openness of the Green Belt or alter the existing use of the adjacent roundabout/highway network.”

Artists at work: Dan and Ailish at the sculpture location (Image: BMBC)

placeholder image — Artists at work: Dan and Ailish at the sculpture location (Image: BMBC)

The site “does not have the traditional characteristics of a Green Belt site being sandwiched on a narrow piece of land between the roundabout and the Employment Allocation ES10 (the industrial estate site).

“The sculpture is proposed in connection with an existing vehicular route which will soon serve the wider employment development and therefore the sculpture will be seen against a backdrop of this busy junction limiting its overall impact on the open character of the Green Belt.

“The sculpture is considered to be a positive landscape feature that will be enjoyed by the users of the footpath and will celebrate local communities and, if it was considered inappropriate development, it is still considered that such public benefits amount to very special circumstances that would outweigh the limited harm to the openness of the Green Belt and would justify approval of planning permission.”

Barnsley Council has said previously Dearne Valley artist Dan Jones is behind the sculpture, supported by Ailish Treanor.