Barnsley 2030

Welcome

Welcome to the Barnsley 2030 strategy, from Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton CBE (Chair of the Barnsley 2030 Board) and Bob Kirton (Vice-Chair of the Barnsley 2030 Board).

Barnsley 2030 sets out our long-term vision for Barnsley and how we will work together to achieve it. 

It’s about celebrating and championing our borough and we're looking to 2030 as we feel this will give us enough time to make some real progress in achieving our bold ambitions for the borough.

This strategy helps us to work creatively to improve our borough for everyone. It provides a framework for the ambitions and actions of our partners working across the area and it enables us all to believe in the possibilities of Barnsley. By working together, we can ensure that everyone benefits from our borough’s prosperity and by fostering and growing ambition we can enable everyone to be the best they can be.

This strategy provides a solid foundation for Barnsley’s future, supporting our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and building back towards a better, fairer and more inclusive Barnsley. Alongside this strategy we're also working on a COVID-19 recovery plan which outlines the activity that will facilitate our recovery from the pandemic.

In developing the Barnsley 2030 strategy we've worked closely with our communities, businesses and organisations across all sectors and local councillors. This has helped us to make sure that our borough’s vision and ambitions represent everyone who has an interest in the future of Barnsley.

We're very grateful to everyone who has taken the time to respond to our survey, attend our engagement events, workshops, focus groups and online events. We'd also like to thank the brilliant community volunteers who supported the engagement phase of the project. 

We recognise that it's important for us to keep the conversation going throughout the lifetime of this strategy. Enabling us to continue to work together, to turn our ambitions for Barnsley into a reality. Look out for further opportunities to get involved on the Barnsley 2030 webpages.

We truly believe that together we can tell a better and shared story of our borough and we have a real opportunity to turn Barnsley into the place of possibilities.

Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton CBE

Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton CBE

Chair of Barnsley 2030 Board

Bob Kirton

Bob Kirton

Vice-Chair of Barnsley 2030 Board

Barnsley 2030 strategy

Our story so far

Barnsley 2030 seeks to strengthen relationships between local organisations, businesses and communities, for the benefit of everyone in the borough. By working together, we've gained a better understanding of what is important to Barnsley and how we can continue to work together to achieve our ambitions for Barnsley.

Understanding what we all want Barnsley to be like by 2030 provides an exciting opportunity for us to tell a different story of our borough and to positively change how people think and feel about Barnsley.

A lot can change in a relatively short amount of time, and by looking to 2030 we can focus on developing and transforming our borough to overcome challenges and successfully turn Barnsley into the place of possibilities.

Below is a timeline of activity which depicts the start of our 2030 journey.

Date Phase
August 2019 to September 2019 Set up
October 2019 to March 2020 Design and engagement
April 2020 to June 2020 Analysis
July 2020 to May 2021 Development
June 2021 Launch

At our virtual launch event people asked lots of questions, and we weren't able to answer them all during the event. Take a look at the answers to the questions that weren’t answered.

What's Barnsley like now?

Barnsley’s industrial past has shaped our borough. We’re proud of our heritage, and we know our residents are too. We take care of our local environment, and our welcoming people and communities are one of our biggest assets. 

Barnsley is open for business, with our central location, digital connectivity, excellent links to major road networks and strong ties to both Leeds and Sheffield City Region. Our attractive local offer also makes Barnsley an appealing place to live, with our thriving town centre and Principal Towns. We’re home to one of the best markets in South Yorkshire and everyone can enjoy the borough’s excellent cultural attractions, leisure facilities and our beautiful outdoor spaces.  

Barnsley is faced with global challenges such as climate change, the digital revolution and local issues such as low pay, low skills, unemployment, health inequalities and areas of deprivation. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on the individuals who live, study and work here and the businesses and services that operate in Barnsley.

Our vision and ambitions for 2030

In Barnsley we want everyone to have a good life. This means everything from a quality place to call home, to good physical and mental wellbeing and a sense of self-worth through diverse and secure employment opportunities. It's also about having access to the best possible local facilities in a community that values our people and our place.

In Barnsley we want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, develop new skills and, most importantly, to achieve their personal potential.

Barnsley aims to be an exemplar place to live and a great place to do business. We want to both retain and attract new people and businesses to the area, creating an inclusive and diverse community enriched with skills, knowledge and experiences. We want to meet the needs of today, without compromising the needs of the future and encourage people to connect to each other as well as to our place.

This is why our vision for 2030 is: 'Barnsley - the place of possibilities'

It's time to believe in the possibilities of Barnsley, to look to the future with excitement and optimism. Our borough is a place that fosters and grows ambition, enabling everyone to be the best they can be. 

We have worked with a small network of partnership groups and boards to develop the following ambitions:

Working in partnership

Barnsley 2030 isn’t just about the work of a single individual, organisation, business, group or board. It’s about what we all do to make our borough the place that it is. Partnership working is key to the success of this project and over the lifetime of this strategy, each of us will be encouraged to consider how we as residents, learners, employees, potential investors or business owners can all contribute to achieving Barnsley’s ambitions. 

There's also a formal structure that directly supports the delivery of the Barnsley 2030 strategy. This includes the Barnsley 2030 Board and the Barnsley 2030 delivery groups and boards.

Barnsley 2030 Board

The Barnsley 2030 Board is a group of local decision makers, key organisations and business leaders across all sectors, who are all committed to achieving our ambitions. They're responsible for helping raise awareness of Barnsley’s story, overseeing the performance management, and making important decisions to ensure the delivery of the vision and ambitions.

Find out more and hear from members of the Barnsley 2030 Board.

Barnsley 2030 delivery groups and boards

There's also a small network of partnership groups and boards who are responsible for delivering different elements of the strategy, as well as providing challenge across the partnership, to ensure that we can successfully turn our ambitions into a reality.

Find out more about the groups and boards and the ambitions they are leading on by visiting the theme webpages: 

Getting involved

We recognise that this structure doesn’t reflect all contributions. There will be a range of other individuals, groups and boards that will contribute to the delivery of this strategy in a less formalised way, which is equally as important.

If you want to discuss how you can contribute to the delivery of the ambitions, please contact us online.

How will we know when we've achieved our goals?

It's important for us to understand whether we're on track to achieve our ambitions for Barnsley.

Over the lifetime of this strategy, the Barnsley 2030 Board will work closely with the key delivery groups and partnership boards to monitor their activity, track their progress and address any challenges that may arise.

Monitoring activity will take place on both a quarterly and annual basis and we'll publish an annual report which will be made available on the Barnsley 2030 website. Project and progress updates will also be shared on social media.

We'd love to hear what you're doing that contributes to the delivery of the Barnsley 2030 ambitions. Please contact us online and let us know.

For more information

Thank you for taking time to read the Barnsley 2030 strategy.

For more information about the project visit the Barnsley 2030 homepage, or contact us if you have any feedback or questions.

Contact us online