Parking has been a major issue in our ward over the years. There are on average 275 empty parking spaces in the town centre car parks every day – unfortunately some drivers will not use them because they have to pay. Many residents living close to the town centre have been plagued with drivers using their streets as car parks when coming to shop, work or visit the town centre.

Good news the residents parking scheme for Central ward has gone through the final stage of consultation and will soon be put into operation. While it is recognised that residents parking schemes sometimes bring with them their own problems particularly for households with more than one vehicle, it has been the case that where schemes have been refused by some streets/roads within an area virtually all of these have since come back requesting to be admitted into the scheme. Unfortunately these then have to go to the back of a list which currently stands at some 250 requests for such schemes.

Once again we have had our share of snow and ice this winter. There is 1150km of highway network within the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough. The Council has a fleet of 11 vehicles to grit the entire borough. Highways winter maintenance service grits approximately 48% of the highway network priority is given to: A and B roads; roads linking towns and villages; other roads of more than local significance. Secondary routes ie urban and rural unclassified roads, main roads in housing estates and some other minor routes are only treated if and when the primary routes are safe. During prolonged periods of bad weather it is often the case that salting/gritting of primary routes has to be repeated each time there is a fresh fall of snow thus meaning that secondary routes fail to get treated.

There are around 500 grit bins throughout the borough and our winter maintenance teams work hard to get these filled as quickly as possible. Each year the location of the bins are reviewed and a schedule drawn up ready for the following winter. Don’t wait until it snows to ask for a grit bin to be placed in your area. Requests for a bin are not a guarantee of getting one but consideration will be given to the need and most appropriate location in the area of request.

We often see hanging baskets on lamp posts as we drive down our roads. Though nice they are they are expensive and need lots of attention. Barnsley Central councillors thought that there could be other ways of brightening our streets. A challenge went out to all residents to come up with ideas which would include friends and neighbours working together on environmental projects – they offered £300 towards the cost of each scheme. A number of local groups and residents took us up on this challenge and carried out environmental work in their area.

The Town Centre Community Partnership, Environmental sub group – enlisted the help of volunteers from Longman Road, Caxton Street and Regent Gardens area along with youth workers and neighbourhood pride. They worked together to re-furbish and re-plant the flower beds on the footpath between Huddersfield Road and Rose Hill Court.

( Pictures in this article reflect the before and after scenes of the Huddersfield Road footpath project. We look forward to more communities coming forward next year with their ideas and projects. )

Other projects have included; Doncaster Road school children bulb planting in the vicinity of Albion, Buckley and Britannia flats. Greenwood Terrace residents ‘clean and brighten up our street project’ which won a Highly Recommended award in the Barnsley in Bloom competition. A community cohesion project in Hopwood Street brought together children and families from a variety of backgrounds when the bought and filled planters to put in front gardens on their street.

Ward Councillors are in discussions’ with officers regarding refuse collections. Many of the residential areas within the ward consist of long rows of terraced housing. Residents can no longer get their bins emptied at the back due to changes in health and safety policies. The new policy requires residents to take bin to a designated collection point or to the front of their house. Bins left on the highway should be removed within 24 hours of being emptied; often bins are being permanently left on fronts and in front gardens. It is unsightly and encourages anti social behavior the situation is becoming a major issue. We are looking at environmental legislation which could help to impose regulations and enforcement – maybe even changes in collection criteria.