A significant milestone has been reached in the development of The Seam Digital Campus with a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of phase one works.
Barnsley Council representatives joined staff from contractors Willmott Dixon and Align Property Partners for the ceremony.
The first phase will redevelop the lower Seam, adding a new urban park (4,700 sq m), comprising three separate natural gardens: the biodiversity garden, the digital garden and the town centre link.
Parking facilities will also be improved, adding well-lit pedestrian walkways, additional trees, better lighting, and upgraded CCTV. The car park will provide 292 car park spaces, accessible bays and 12 electric vehicle chargers, with the capacity to expand to 40 chargers over time.
The main attraction of phase one will be three sculptures known as the Yorkshire Roses. The central sculpture will stand 15m tall, and two smaller sculptures will stand 12m tall, high above the newly regenerated area.
The sculptures are expected to be installed later this year with all phase one works due to be fully completed in March 2026.
Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: “I can’t wait to see this exciting scheme come to life. The Seam Digital Campus is another bold and ambitious project that lies at the heart of the ambition in our new Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy to make Barnsley the UK’s leading digital town.
“We see the site as crucial to our future economy, providing a space which can act as a catalyst for further collaboration between artists, digital designers, tech developers, and local businesses, positioning Barnsley as a forward-thinking hub for creative innovation in the tech and digital sectors.
“Our ambition for this project extends beyond phase one. Subject to planning, phase two work will develop the upper Seam car park, add a third Digital Media Centre, include a high-end hotel and create a National Centre for Digital Technologies.
“This will set us up to equip our children and young people with essential digital skills through a lifelong pathway including through foundational activities like the ‘Every Child a Coder’ programme, setting them up for careers in the technology and AI sectors.”
Chris Yates, Director at Willmott Dixon, added: “We’re delighted to join Barnsley Council to celebrate the start of work on this unique project. The Seam represents the first phase of an exciting regeneration project that will help to bring the brightest tech businesses into South Yorkshire.
“We share Barnsley Council’s commitment to creating skills and employment opportunities for young people in the town. While construction work on the project has only just begun, we’ve already started to engage with Barnsley Youth Hub, Barnsley College, Worsbrough Common Primary School, and Ward Green Primary School.”
