PHASE 1 DEVELOPMENT FAQs:
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Where will people park during the closure of the Seam car park for?
Council staff and DMC tenants that normally park on Lower Seam will be advised to park in Market Gate Park during the 3 week closure of Lower Seam. Parking passes will be made valid for staff and DMC tenants in the alternative car parks for this car park closure.
Visitors and shoppers are advised to consider the Glass Works and the Alhambra for convenient access to the town centre.
Find out more about car parks and on-street parking in our borough.
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You can also find out more about how to plan your journey to Barnsley.
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How many EV spaces will be in the Seam lower car park?
292 spaces will be provided on lower Seam, this will include 10 EV spaces. With forward-thinking infrastructure, the development means we can increase the amount of EV spaces in line with future demand.
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Will there be enough parking spaces?
Yes. There is sufficient capacity to deal with the reduction in spaces on lower seam during the temporary closure for surveys in July 2024 and during construction.
Parking surveys were undertaken in 2023 across all Town centre car parks. This demonstrated that during the week there are over 1,000 vacant spaces in Council owned car parks across the Town Centre and 800 free spaces on a Saturday. (This does not include private car parks)
There are plans to install information displays at key entry routes into the Town which will inform motorists of available spaces once the new scheme is open.
What safety benefits will the site bring?
The site will benefit from improved CCTV and lighting. We're working closely with the community safety team to ensure the site is effectively managed and we are in consultation with the Police during the current design development.
What are the other ways to travel?
There are lot’s of ways you can travel to Barnsley including by bus, train or active travel methods. Find out more about travelling to Barnsley.
Who can I contact about site works on the car park?
For more information about the Seam car park closure, contact Wilmott X.
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GENERAL SEAM FAQs:
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What is The Seam?
The Seam is an extension to Barnsley’s town centre, creating an urban village on the County Way car park areas. It will transform a network, extending the two DMC buildings and Barnsley College Sci-Tech Digital Hub, making the physical space, Barnsley’s Digital Campus.
What is a Digital Campus?
It will be a testbed for innovative ideas, supporting the Barnsley economy to grow, with digital and smart tech at the heart of it. Allowing businesses, both in the DMC, as well as from further afield, to have a space to work with the public sector, to try new ideas, with access to public spaces and technical facilities, along with clustered networks and people with know how, is what will make the Seam an exciting digital campus - a place of possibilities that welcomes entrepreneurial collaboration.
What is involved in Phase one of The Seam?
July 2024 will see a three week closure of the Lower Seam car park a site investigation is carried out. Ground works are scheduled to start during September 2024, commencing Phase one of the Seam’s development. This will see the lower Seam car park significantly improved, which will provide quality facilities for the Campus users and visitors to the Town centre.
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The creation of new high quality urban park in front of DMC 01 will include seating, garden areas, feature lighting and a central art feature which will completely transform this area, providing a high-quality gateway for the Seam and DMC01 providing a welcome place for campus visitors to enjoy.
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The car park will be significantly improved with well-lit pedestrian walkways, additional trees, better lighting and upgraded CCTV. The car park will provide 292 car park spaces, accessible bays and 10 EV charges, with the capacity to expand to 40 charges over time.
How does Phase one make the site a Digital Campus?
With the two DMC buildings and Sci-Tech College building, the space remains a place that encourages tech, digital and creative businesses to innovate. The upgrades to the Lower Seam site, which is phase one, will go a long way in upgrading the site, and still provides a physical space for businesses to prototype and test new ideas.
We hope to see developments in Internet of Things devices, sensors and other innovations implemented into the site, as well as digital art features, creating the culture and environment you'd expect to see.
What is involved in phase two?
The areas highlighted for phase two, include developments on Upper County way Car park, and behind the DMC 02 building. We're actively seeking investment opportunities to enhance the Upper Seam site as a destination for digital businesses. We very much see The Seam as the future of Barnsley's economy. We see phase two as a new type of catapult that is a national asset in the heart of the country, tackling bespoke challenges via collaboration between industry, academia and the public sector.
What are the aims of The Seam?
The Seam builds on this great work already happening and this phase one development gives us an accessible and innovative urban village and digital cluster within the town centre where we can try new ideas, support positive change for Barnsley and build towards Barnsley Council’s 2030 ambitions for sustainability and growth.
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It's a development which will bring together people, learning, business and places to help grow more innovative, digital jobs and businesses, ultimately benefitting the Barnsley economy in a modern, urban setting.
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How does the Tech Welcome Grant fit in?
In November 2022, it was announced the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) would be partnering with Barnsley Council to deliver a grant to attract Tech businesses into the region by funding office accommodation up to £10K for their first year. The Seam is acting as the delivery arm of the grant, as our team already has a working relationship with many of the key stakeholders in tech across South Yorkshire.
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