And finally… petal to the metal
Barnsley town centre’s £2.5m Yorkshire Rose sculptures are being erected, with installation expected to take around three weeks.
Standing between 40ft and 50ft, the three sculptures were designed by artist Tim Ward with integrated lighting and audio elements to brighten up the streets.
Part of a £12m redevelopment of the Seam Digital Campus, funding was secured from the Future High Streets Fund.
Willmott Dixon is overseeing the project, with the rest of phase one including the creation of a 50,000 sq ft urban park.
Subject to planning, phase two work will look to further develop the Upper Seam car park, develop a third digital media centre, attract a high-end hotel, and create a national centre for digital technologies.
The council aims to develop the site into an urban village and make Barnsley into a destination for tech, digital, and creative businesses.
Stephen Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, said: “I was blown away after seeing one of the sculptures. They will help to bring our vision for the site to life.
“We want this site, which is at the heart of the mission in our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy, to become the UK’s leading digital town.
“Achieving this will help create more and better jobs, build a lifelong digital pathway for residents to benefit from, and drive inward investment.”
