Barnsley Library Designs Revealed

The design for Barnsley's brand new central library has been officially unveiled. Its a key part of the town's £50 million redevelopment and is due to open in 2017 - the building will be low energy costing less to run and will double the space for IT facilities. Speaking about the design, Cllr Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place said: “The central library is just one part of the overall town centre development scheme, and its high quality design sets the standard for the new town centre. The town centre plans, set to boost regeneration and investment in the town, have been developed by working with our customers and partners.

“We’re creating a vibrant, walkable, family friendly town centre full of opportunity and potential. It will be compact enough to be welcoming and accessible, but large enough to have a high quality market, shops, leisure and cultural facilities.

“All contractors for the project will be local wherever possible, with a focus on giving local young people new skills in construction.”

The Better Barnsley town centre development proposals include a central public square, refurbished and extended Metropolitan Centre, new library, new central car park, and a series of sites for development. Changes are underway already, with the outdoor market relocated into the main shopping precinct in October, and lots of refurbishment work done on surrounding streets. The design is also underway for the new Metropolitan Centre, which will be partially extended and refurbished.

The total investment of the town centre regeneration project is £50 million, which is capital budget earmarked to support the council’s ambition to encourage economic growth. This isn’t money that could be spent on other public services, and won’t affect the council’s ability to deliver front line services. It will create local jobs and attract further funding, investment and development.