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The story of Goldthorpe and the Dearne is one of renewal.
Once a proud mining community, the Dearne is now building a new future based on investment and opportunity.
Goldthorpe’s high street features many much-loved independent businesses and the Dearne boasts numerous community groups aimed at giving local people the chance to find connection.
Through investment in public spaces like Horse and Groom Square and community facilities like the Dearne Playhouse, a new future is being forged in consultation with people who are proud to call the Dearne home.
The mural in Horse and Groom square, which reads “Look to the future”.
How we've invested in Goldthorpe: Towns Fund
More than £23.1m has been invested to help regenerate, renew and revitalise Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe and Bolton upon Dearne through the Towns Fund.
The Towns Fund Deal was a government funded £3.6 billion opportunity for towns throughout England to improve skills, digital and transport connectivity, create new jobs, raise aspiration and revitalise the economic prospects of the area. A total of 101 towns were invited to bid for up to £25m and Goldthorpe was one of these towns.
The Goldthorpe Towns Fund Board was formed to help steer the development of the Town Investment Plan and the £23.1m investment was granted by the government to implement projects in the Dearne Valley.
Project summaries
You can view our Goldthorpe Towns Fund flipbook which highlights the key milestones and projects that the Towns Fund delivered (information correct at time of publication, March 2026). You can also browse additional projects below.
Bringing community and opportunity to Goldthorpe
Community and cultural hub
The Dearne Playhouse, a 101-year-old cultural landmark in Goldthorpe, underwent a major refurbishment through the Towns Fund programme, transforming it into a modern, accessible hub. Improvements included a new roof, redecorated interiors, upgraded rehearsal and production spaces, refreshed dressing rooms, and energy-efficient lighting. The revitalised venue is now attracting creative groups such as Barnsley Youth Choir, Dearne Playhouse Youth Theatre and the Dearne Playhouse Musical Theatre Company.
In partnership with Barnsley Council and local schools, production company The Big Reveal staged the spectacular ‘The Heart of the Wood’ at the Playhouse. Developed over 19 months, the project featured four young actors from the area, many making their stage debut, and included storytelling and art workshops for Goldthorpe and Dearne pupils.
Find out more about the production and watch the 'making-of' documentary.
Goldthorpe towns commercial investment fund
KMS Transport added two major extensions to its premises and generated more than 20 new jobs thanks to a grant from the Goldthorpe Towns Commercial Investment Fund.
The investment increased warehouse capacity at the site on Goldthorpe Industrial Estate, boosting the local economy.
The company also pledged to add social value through supporting local supply chains, working with young jobseekers and carrying out volunteering projects.
The £1.2 million grant and the project was delivered with support from our business development arm, Enterprising Barnsley, and our capital projects team.
What we're going to do next
ES10 employment site and new access roundabout
Theme: Developing Goldthorpe
Work to create a major new roundabout located at the junction of the A635 Barnsley Road and Dearne Valley Parkway in Goldthorpe has been completed.
Major new access roundabout to the ES10 Employment Site during construction works
It will provide the major access into the ES10 employment site, which will support the unlocking of its potential as part of the Dearne Valley economic growth corridor and enable the creation of new jobs.
The soft landscaping to the centre of the roundabout has been completed, and there will be ongoing maintenance. A sculpture installation will be located close to the roundabout, and it will represent the story behind the name "UNITY", being representative of both the roundabout and the sculpture.
The name and artwork will be progressed through working with the arts charity known as Beam.
Major works to the new access roundabout to the ES10 Employment site completed. Street lighting, planting and artwork to centre circle ongoing.
More information about the background to the ES10 employment land can be found through our pages on Barnsley’s Local Plan. You can also read the Goldthorpe masterplan framework.
Development of the ES10 site and any planning applications submitted will have to meet the requirements of the Goldthorpe masterplan framework, adopted by full council in September 2021.
Goldthorpe Housing Project Phase 1
Theme: Developing Goldthorpe
Goldthorpe Housing Project
Funding is in place to regenerate traditional terraced streets in Goldthorpe. This is through property and environmental improvements designed to help grow people's pride in their area.
We also hope to improve residents' wellbeing, including physical and mental health. This will be achieved through creating more welcoming public spaces for residents to interact with each other socially and giving opportunities for informal play and active travel. In addition, new affordable homes will be delivered to our low-carbon standard. The aim is to create a healthy and safe living environment for everyone.
Public consultation took place in May 2022 with residents and landlords on the initial design proposals. Read the results of May 2022's public consultation survey in our Goldthorpe Housing Project report.
Project aims
The Goldthorpe Housing Project aims are to:
acquire and demolish 30 properties on Cooperative and Victoria Street and support the re-housing of affected households (now complete)
build nine new-build, highly energy efficient affordable homes to be let and managed by Berneslai Homes
deliver new public realm, including green space connecting Market Street, Cooperative Street and Victoria Street
deliver 'Secured by Design' rear boundary improvements
deliver improvements to rear alleyways
Demolition
To achieve the project aims, we've acquired and demolished 30 properties on Cooperative and Victoria Street, and helped re-house affected households.
The phase one demolition works are now complete, but site safety and security remains a high priority and regular site security checks will continue.
Please speak to any children you're responsible for about the dangers of playing around this area and don't allow pets to enter the site.
Alleyway closures
As part of the wider regeneration works in the area, we have approval to close a number of the footpaths and these are shown on the plan below:
Section 1 (red) – now closed
Section 2 (green) and Section 3 (blue) - will close later this year
New build homes and public realm improvements
A planning application for the building of nine new homes, new areas of greenspace, alleyway and rear boundary improvements was approved in October 2024. View planning application 2024/0611.
Following a tender exercise, we've appointed Keystone Yorkshire Ltd as the principal contractor to carry out the building work.
The new council homes, public realm and rear boundary works will start in May 2026. A 'meet the contractor' event was held on 2 April 2026 - an opportunity for residents to meet members of the project team, view the work programme and ask questions about the plans.
Programme and timescales
Please see below for the updated programme and timescales. Please note that these are indicative only and may be subject to change.
From May 2026 to spring 2027:
Delivery of nine new build homes.
Delivery of public realm works including new green space.
Phased delivery of rear boundary and rear alleyway improvements.
How to apply to live in any of the potential new homes
Berneslai Homes manage the letting of council homes on behalf of Barnsley Council and advertise properties on-line on Barnsley Homeseeker.
In order to place bids via Homeseeker, you'll need a live housing application.
If you need help with this, please see the Berneslai Homes website. You can also call the Lettings Team on 01226 787878.
Empty homes
Empty homes can be targets for damage and criminal activity, which can affect residents in neighbouring properties.
You can report a problem with an empty home or report fly-tipping online.
In the event of an emergency please call 999.
How do I contact the Goldthorpe Housing Project team?
call: 01226 772205
write to:
Goldthorpe Housing Project,
Strategic Housing and Growth Team,
Barnsley Council,
PO Box 634,
Barnsley,
S70 9GG
Goldthorpe Housing Project Phase 2
We carried out a public consultation in August 2025 to gather people's views on the council’s proposals for a further programme of property acquisitions and demolitions within the Goldthorpe Housing Project area.
We would like to thank everyone who took part in the public consultation. The feedback collected has informed the final plan, in addition to feedback from other stakeholders.
You can read the Public Consultation Survey Results Report August 2025.
Goldthorpe Housing Project Phase 2
Aims:
address the high proportion of empty properties
address the over-supply of poor-quality housing
reduce fly-tipping and risk of arson
reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
create a developable parcel which links to HS49 housing allocation in the Local Plan
Local Plan Site HS49: Land to the South of Beever Street Goldthorpe
Source: Local Plan 2019 – Adopted Policies Map
You can view Barnsley's Local Plan.
To deliver our long-term regeneration and renewal aspirations it will be necessary to acquire and demolish some existing properties within the existing Goldthorpe Housing Project site.
Goldthorpe Housing Project Phase 2 Final Plan
acquire and demolish 39 properties within the existing GHP site boundary via voluntary acquisitions.
re-housing of those affected by the demolition plans.
Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to address areas of unknown land ownership, and as a last resort should any voluntary acquisitions fail to progress.
empty property management: removal of metals, cap-off utilities, shutter, secure boundaries.
cleared site to be temporarily grass-seeded with a knee-rail perimeter fence installed.
cleared site to be made available for re-development for new build housing in the future as part of the HS49 housing allocation in the Local Plan.
Goldthorpe Housing Project Phase 2 Final Acquisition and Demolition Plan
Final acquisition and demolition properties list
Cooperative Street, Goldthorpe: numbers: 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71.
Claycliffe Terrace, Goldthorpe: numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
A report seeking approval of the final GHP 2 Acquisitions and Boundary Plan will be presented to the Council’s Cabinet on 4 March 2026 and will be confirmed on 11 March 2026.
There will be the opportunity for the community to make further comments on the GHP 2 via the planning process when the relevant permission(s) are sought.
All households affected by the final acquisition and demolition plan have been notified in writing.
Next Steps
Owner-occupiers‑ and landlords will be contacted by Align Property Partners, on behalf of Barnsley Council, to arrange a property valuation. This will start the voluntary acquisition process, which includes negotiations to purchase the properties.
Owner-occupiers and tenants will be offered a ‘Housing Needs Assessment’ appointment to begin the re-housing process and will also be provided with information about the next steps.
Support from Barnsley Council
Support will be available for affected residents and property owners and will include:
voluntary ‘Housing Needs Assessments’ to identify future housing needs and any additional support needs
referrals and sign-posting to appropriate support services (with consent)
support with property searches and re-housing
resident ‘home loss’ compensation payment of £8100 (residents must have lived in the property for at least 12 months)
resident ‘disturbance compensation’ claim (for eligible costs linked to moving home)
landlord ‘basic loss’ compensation of 7.5% of the property value (must have owned the property for at least 12 months)
landlord ‘disturbance compensation’ claim (for eligible costs linked to buying a replacement property of a similar value)
Goldthorpe Housing Project Phase 2 Delivery Timescales*
Date | Details |
|---|---|
March 2026 |
|
Spring 2026 |
|
Summer/Winter 2026 |
|
Upon completion of acquisitions and re-housing phase |
|
Upon completion of acquisitions and re-housing phase |
|
Upon completion of GHP 2 delivery |
|
*Please note: The timescales are indicative only, are subject to approvals and may be subject to change.
Empty homes
Empty homes can be targets for damage and criminal activity, which can affect residents in neighbouring properties.
You can report a problem with an empty home or report fly-tipping online.
In the event of an emergency please call 999.
How do I contact the Goldthorpe Housing Project team?
call: 01226 772205
write to:
Goldthorpe Housing Project,
Strategic Housing and Growth Team,
Barnsley Council,
PO Box 634,
Barnsley,
S70 9GG
Barnsley Dearne 2040 Vision and Masterplan
We have a long-term vision and plan for the regeneration and renewal of the Barnsley Dearne. This includes the towns of Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe and Bolton upon Dearne.
The new plan will build on the projects which have already been delivered through the Towns Fund, helping to guide future work and prompt ideas that could make the area better. Having a clear plan means that we can seize new funding opportunities when they become available.
The new Vision and Masterplan is based on five key themes:
Learn more about the Barnsley Dearne 2040 Vision and Masterplan.
Public artwork for Goldthorpe and the Dearne
Exciting artwork projects are taking shape to enhance and celebrate the landscape of Goldthorpe and the Dearne.
They include colourful murals, an inspiring sculpture and spray-painted designs on shop shutters in the high street.
The aim is to celebrate the rich heritage, culture and sense of community of the area and reflect both its past and future.