We’ve had another record-breaking quarter for visitors to our museums and outdoor cultural spaces, highlighting why our borough is such a great place to visit and explore.

Our latest corporate performance report shows that Cannon Hall is proving more popular than ever, breaking their previous quarter three (October to December) footfall records.

With three months of reporting left to go, Cannon Hall has already beaten its previous annual footfall records. Elsecar Heritage Centre is also reaching new heights, well on track to cross half a million visitors annually for the first time with over 140,000 visitors last quarter.

It’s not just Cannon Hall’s scenic parklands and Elsecar Heritage Centre’s growing national reputation driving forward this change.

Major improvements at Worsbrough Mill and Country Park, including a new Visitor Hub and stunning artwork installations, have seen it breaking records for visitor numbers and volunteering hours. The popular visitor attraction has already welcomed 220,000 visitors this year and looks forward to welcoming even more in quarter four.

Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre also enjoyed its busiest quarter three in nearly ten years, currently hosting its special Tutankhamun exhibit.

These are just some of the fantastic achievements highlighted in our latest performance report, which sets out our progress between October and December 2022.

These reports are a great way to make sure we’re on track to achieve our ambitions for the borough and identify any areas needing more attention or improvement.

Our quarter three performance report was discussed today (Wednesday 8 March) at Cabinet. Here are just some of the highlights:

• We’ve achieved our annual targets for the number of businesses we’ve helped to start up or expand in our borough, helping to create an inclusive economy for all.
• Anti-social behaviour incidents across Barnsley fell by over nine per cent this quarter, including a reduction in off-road biking in our green spaces.
• Our Everybody Think campaign is helping to make fly-tipping less common compared to previous years, now sitting at 27.6 cases per 1,000 households.
• Nearly 80 per cent of families are now taking up our free childcare offer for two-year-olds, with our teams helping families complete applications over the phone.
• 81.8 per cent of our primary schools are rated good or outstanding, helping our young people get the best possible start to their education journey.
• We’re on track to achieve our annual targets for safeguarding concerns reported to us by the public, showing how keeping our communities safe is everyone’s business.

Our latest performance report also identifies areas where more work is needed, including delivering more new homes so everyone can live in a high-quality home that’s right for them.

We will also continue to work with schools to prevent suspensions from disrupting education.

Councillor Robert Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson for Core Services, said: “In Barnsley, we have bold ambitions for what we want our borough to be, making it a place that fosters and grows ambition for years to come. Our latest performance report highlights the fantastic progress we’re making towards our vision for Barnsley.

“We’re incredibly proud of the rich cultural offer we have in Barnsley, making our borough such a great place to visit and explore. I am delighted to see our stunning outdoor visitor attractions, including Cannon Hall, Elsecar Heritage Centre and Worsbrough Mill, going from strength to strength.

“They are experiences you can only find in Barnsley and their continued success shows how our cultural sector is bouncing back strongly from the pandemic.”

You can read more about our quarter three performance report. Keep an eye on our social media channels for our performance report animations, showing how we’re making Barnsley the place of possibilities.