New town and town centre score board

https://fb.watch/7W23A8EMb4/

Hopefully the link works. It looks nice.

I just hope, the units where the new shops used to be are filled in soon.
I can't quite see on the video, but can you get out of bus station and walk up what was Kendray St now, or is that blocked off for further work?

Also, a large screen would be nice in the open area like some other towns have to show news and sporting events. Not to be on all the time though as that would be annoying, just at special occasions, Wimbledon, Olympics, World Cups, Euros, Red matches. Stuff like that.

 

A bridge over the rail tracks would be nice

 

Most of the units are took and in solicitors hands.

Let's hope it's looked after.

 

It would make me Kwai.

 

Other than the ‘honey’ cladding on the cinema it looks great! Also worth noting that the scheme is 90% let (if all the deals currently with solicitors go though) there really aren’t many units left. Lots of people seem confused by ‘phased opening’.

I’ve also heard rumours that Primark may be extending into the now vacant TK Maxx in the Alhambra to take both levels.

Re Midland Street and around the interchange - there’s a small path open that will allow you to get from Midland Street to Kendray Street, but the rest is fenced off for public realm work and the bridge.

 

CGI’s below

 

I can't see anything wrong with that - looks great on the video. There has been a lot of criticism about all this but I'm impressed with it so far.

Must make an effort to get to Barnsley an hour or so early for the next home match and go and have a look at it all.

 

Get over it!

 

Just don’t try to get over it an hour before or after kick off

 

What is happening to the other side, where Boots is, and where Sports Direct etc 'were' previously?

And what of the Alhambra?

I ask out of pure ignorance. I genuinely haven't a clue.

I remember them on about remaking the town about 20 years back when I was in college. Is this that?

 

It’s almost like what happened in Leeds a few years ago. Retailers left current units in the centre, to move to Trinity.

Alhambra has lost Next and TK Maxx now. That’s some space to fill….

 

That's a good idea!

 

And Wakefield. The Ridings is rubbish since a lot moved into Trinity Walk.

 

A new consultation is happening for the remainder of the town centre. The proposals suggest retail space should be cut by a third and should concentrate on the area in and around the Glass Works. The old Sports Direct/BHS building is being considered for development to create more urban green space. Nothing is planned for Boots, but I’m not sure who owns those units.

And what of the Alhambra?

Who knows. The Glass Works will take up any new retailers due to the more modern units and lease incentives. The owners of The Alhambra are unlikely to invest too much in the centre as I can’t imagine it makes much money. Perhaps some smaller retailers will move in as part of the condensing/demolition of retail units in other areas of town.

There have been various development plans since the early 00’s. All the plans focused on redevelopment/demolition of the Metropolitan Centre, Central Offices, and all the other brutalist 60’s redevelopment. There was the halo/Tuscan Hill proposal at first, which quickly turned into a grand plan in 2005 that would’ve seen a lot more buildings demolished, but would’ve also seen a lot more built. Due to the global recession that plan was scrapped. By 2011 there was another masterplan called ‘Marketplace Barnsley’ where all the plans were approved and tenants were actively sought. Contracts were signed with a number of operators and the scheme would’ve been anchored by Debenhams and Odeon. Unfortunately, BMBC couldn’t secure the necessary private investment to deliver this scheme so it was scrapped. In 2014 a new ‘Better Barnsley’ plan was launched. A lot smaller scale and less reliant on retail, this plan eventually evolved into what we have today.

 

That’s the case with every City/Town Centre development. Retailers will negotiate lease incentives to relocate to bigger and better units for less cost. The good thing for Barnsley is the town centre is relatively small so we won’t end up with too many empty units like there are in places like Wakefield and Bradford. It’s also worth reading through the plans the council already have to reduce retail space in town and what to replace that with. Hopefully that will help to fill some vacant units.

Remember the Alhambra is privately owned so the council get nothing from the rents those retailers pay in there. I’d be more worried for them if Primark had gone too, but it is slowly turning into Barnsley’s own Merrion Centre!

 

Be nice to have more independent shops but no doubt will be filled up with vaping/tat stores. Or why not have stuff like Escape, laser tag, indoor golf etc?

 

Thanks for your input, you're always a fountain of knowledge on these issues.

That image of the bridge looks better than previous plans I've seen. It looks wider - thinking for football days. It also looks like the position has change and it's nearer the road on the 'other side' of the rail way (car park side). My only concern is that everyone will need to cross the road (other than if you are going into the car park). Safe normally, again, just thinking football traffic.

 

An hour and a half but that's another story.

 

Laser will be available in Superbowl.

The leisure unit above JD and Deichmann is under offer and we don’t yet know who this is. The council did want this unit for a gym, but you never know. There’s also another leisure unit to let above the units on the new arcade adjacent to TK Maxx and that looks about the right size for ‘junkyard golf’ or something similar.