Levelling up is a phrase that we have all heard, but what does that mean for where you live and our Barnsley borough? Today we are launching ‘Levelling Up for Barnsley’, which explains what levelling up means for us all.

Levelling up is the government’s ambition to address gaps in quality of life, prosperity and wellbeing between people who live in different parts of the country. It’s based on a national policy looking at issues like jobs, skills, business, infrastructure, pride in place and wellbeing. It gives councils the opportunity to access grants for important local projects under the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund.

Barnsley is a place with a catching-up economy. We’re making great progress in some areas. We're in the top 10% of council areas in the country for job growth over the last five years. But there is much more to do to help our communities with some of the challenges.

In Barnsley, our 2030 vision sets out how we will work together to achieve success, celebrating and championing our borough. 2030 will help us achieve our bold ambitions for the borough, helping us to work creatively to improve life for everyone and enabling us all to believe in the possibilities of Barnsley.

We have set out on our website the challenges, how we compare nationally, what we are already doing, and what we would like to achieve with the support of the Government, partners and other agencies to achieve the best for the Barnsley people.

Focusing on four key areas for Levelling up

• Excellent school education and access to life-changing activities for young people.
• Higher incomes through more and better jobs.
• More people living longer in better physical and mental health.
• A much better public transport system.

Councillor Chris Lamb, deputy leader, said, “Through our Barnsley 2030 strategy, we are working closely with our communities, businesses and organisations across all sectors to make sure that our borough’s vision and ambitions represent everyone who has an interest in the future of Barnsley. We want to achieve more for Barnsley. I believe that Barnsley residents deserve the very best, and through 2030 and our levelling up ambitions, we are moving forward together for a better Barnsley.”