South Yorkshire housing project supports regeneration and sustainability

According to Barnsley Council work on the new eco-friendly council houses, which were proposed to help revitalise Goldthorpe, is ‘progressing well’.

Nine new council houses are being built in Barnsley, a market town in South Yorkshire, which are set to include all-electric heating, solar panels, and batteries to store as much energy from the sun as possible. With the current inflation levels showing no signs of coming down soon, this will also help tenants save money on their energy bills as well as helping the environment.

The properties, which will be located in Goldthorpe, are a mix of bungalows and houses and will be built to the council’s energy-efficient specification.

Building these new properties is part of a bigger scheme to regenerate Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe and Bolton-upon-Dearne. The local authority has secured more than £23.1m through the government’s Towns Fund to make this huge plan possible.

Part of the project, as well as the new homes, includes a new town square at the heart of Goldthorpe which provides a more prominent location for the market. In addition, a new area of public green space within the development will link to the adjacent terraced streets where further Towns Fund investment is planned to improve the local area.

Cllr Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: ‘We’re investing in our principal towns and local centres right across the borough, and this investment in high-quality housing is excellent news for Goldthorpe.

‘It supports our wider plans to regenerate, renew and revitalise Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe and Bolton through Towns Fund investment, and it will provide high-quality housing to families who need it.

‘I’m delighted we’re able to build these houses with such great attention to energy efficiency.

‘This helps make sure tenants minimise their energy bills, while also helping us work towards our goal for a more sustainable Barnsley.

‘It’s another step on our journey to a net-zero carbon Barnsley by 2045.’

Image: Christopher Burns