News

TWO more Barnsley residents will appear in court having been charged with violent disorder.Almost 100 people have already been charged following a riot at the Holiday Inn, Manvers, last August.A 17-year-old boy, who can’t be named for legal reasons, will appear before Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on February 26 while Darren Ward, 54, of Norville Crescent, Darfield will appear before Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on March 3.

A GROUP of fundraisers handed over more than £4,800 to Barnsley Hospital’s neonatal unit recently. Ryan Hinchliffe completed the Yorkshire Marathon while wearing a 20kg weighted vest to raise money for his son, Freddie, who was born two months early at Barnsley Hospital in 2022.He completed the marathon alongside his friends who handed over a cheque of £4,880 to the neonatal unit.

SEVERAL Barnsley residents are due to appear in court after having money seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.A HEARING date has been set regarding cash which was seized from a Royston man.A sum of £40,000 was taken from Robert Taylor, of Birkdale Road, by the police.The 37-year-old is set to appear at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on June 23 to answer charges relating to the Proceeds of Crime Act.CASH...

MOTORISTS have been warned of delays on Wombwell Lane this week.From tomorrow (Monday) until Friday, temporary traffic lights will be in place while Virgin Media conduct work.MOTORISTS can also expect delays in Worsbrough Common today (Sunday). Openreach will conduct work on Upper Sheffield Road from 8am to 5pm. Temporary traffic lights will be in place.TEMPORARY traffic lights will be in place in Hoyle Mill on Tuesday night. Yorkshire Water...

TERM time dates for council-controlled primary and secondary schools across Barnsley in 2026/27 have been confirmed.The first day of the 2026 school year will be September 1, in line with other local authorities.A report said: “Having reviewed various options for the school term dates during the academic year 2026/27, the Yorkshire and Humber region’s guiding principles were applied as far as possible and, upon liaising with neighbouring local authorities, the consensus...

ONLY three in five patients who arrived at accident and emergency at Barnsley Hospital last month were seen within four hours, new figures show.The NHS standard is for 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours.However, as part of a recovery plan, the health service aims for 78 per cent of patients to be seen within this time frame by next month.Recent NHS England figures show...

TWO Barnsley establishments have been handed new food hygiene ratings.The Traveller’s Inn, based in Birdwell, was handed a three-star score following an assessment on January 13. While Haseeb’s, based on Barnsley Road in Cudworth, received a one-out-of-five rating on the same day.

A JOINT partnership has been shortlisted in the Net Zero category of the LGC Awards.So far, the partnership, from Energise Barnsley, Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes, has installed 321 solar panels, 140 smart batteries, and 40 heat pumps into social housing managed by Berneslai Homes and 16 council buildings in Barnsley.The ongoing project is aiming to provide solar panels to 1,000 homes in Barnsley to help reduce fuel poverty across the borough....

CHANGES have been made to the way Barnsley Council conducts its admission arrangements for schools in the town.Currently, anyone sending in an application for their child to go to secondary school between November 1 and November 30 is classed as ‘on time’, despite a deadline of October 31.However under new guidance, which will be brought in ahead of the 2026/27 school year, those who submit during November will be classed as...

TWO Barnsley FC players paid a special visit to a local primary school last week.French players Mael de Gevigney and new signing Clement Rodrigues stopped by Summer Lane Primary School last week.They were quizzed by pupils on the life of a football and they were given a little surprise.A spokesperson for the community trust said: “The pupils, who have been learning French, put their skills to the test by...

ROYSTON man Ian Neville completed his 600th Barnsley Parkrun last weekend and he’s showing no signs of stopping just yet.The 59-year-old decided to start the Barnsley Parkrun, which is held each Saturday at Locke Park, following its inception in 2011.And he’s not looked back.“I did my first one when it started in Barnsley in 2011,” he said.“I’ve been into fitness all my life.“I was at...

POLICE in Barnsley are encouraging people to use a knife amnesty bin in the town centre.The bin is located outside Vape Store and Bargains Galore on Regent Street.A spokesperson for the police said: “There are amnesty bins located across South Yorkshire, which can be used to dispose of knives or other bladed objects safely.“These are 100 per cent anonymous to use and are emptied regularly.“We know that...

A SCHEME to bring in surveillance systems in Barnsley’s cohort of taxis will be decided on by ruling cabinet members next month.The council’s licensing officers were successful in their bid to the government’s Transport Innovation Fund, paving the way for free-of-charge cameras to be fitted in order to boost safety for both drivers and passengers.A ten-week consultation began in October and came to an end last month.Ruling cabinet members...

A PETROL station has denied claims that its fuel caused damage to vehicles.The Total Energies station, based on Royston Lane, Royston, was closed for a week recently while ‘extensive tests’ were carried out.It came after a complaint was made regarding the fuel being used.A spokesperson for Total Energies said: “We were informed by Harvest Energy, who own and operate the service station, of a single complaint relating to fuel...

A BARNSLEY secondary school has been praised by Ofsted following its latest inspection.Barnsley Academy, based on Farm Road in Kendray, is under the wing of the United Learning Trust and currently had 920 pupils on its roll.It was praised by Ofsted in its most recent inspection.The report said: “The school is a welcoming and vibrant place.“Most pupils enjoy the education and wider opportunities that the school provides....

BARNSLEY Archives’ staff are going on tour in the hope of bringing history to people’s doorsteps.Officers will be holding pop-up sessions at libraries across the borough to help people with family and local history inquiries and research.A range of digital resources will be available, including historic editions of the Chronicle dating back to 1858, as well as indexes of cemetery burials and building plans.Staff can also offer expert guidance...

A FAMILY was forever changed two decades back when one brother took his own life and now they’re preparing to host a charity event to support others dealing with this type of indescribable grief.Brother and sister Jonathan and Lucy Lee have suffered with their fair share of mental health problems following the untimely death of their brother Simon.For Jonathan, this inspired him to take up a career in writing where he’s...

UPDATE: Lesley has been found safe and well.POLICE are appealing for help to find a missing Bolton-Upon-Dearne woman.Lesley, aged 58, was last seen leaving her home on Wednesday (February 19) at 4.45pm and she is reported to have been in the Wath area at around 11am yesterday (February 20).Lesley is described as white, of medium build, 5ft 1ins tall, and with brown shoulder length hair. She was last seen...

A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme which promised to regenerate Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe and Bolton-upon-Dearne is set to be completed by early 2027, it has been revealed.The Goldthorpe Towns Fund programme includes the construction of a new access roundabout on the A635, housing and the creation of two new areas of greenspace, along with alleyway and rear property boundary improvements.Leaders anticipate the entire package of work will be completed by March 2027.

A NEW defibrillator has been installed outside a working men’s club.Staincross WMC now has its life-saving piece of equipment after The Community Fridge, based at Mapplewell and Staincross Village Hall, secured funding.Coun Leyla Nayeri, who founded the fridge which aims to reduce food going to waste said: “The defibrillator is now in place outside Staincross WMC and available for the community to access 24 hours a day, seven days a week....

THE town centre has been awarded a coveted Purple Flag for the sixth year in a row – recognising its thriving night-time economy.The Purple Flag scheme aims to raise the standard and improve the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am.For the past six years, the scheme has praised Barnsley’s offer, as the council build partnerships with town centre businesses and introduced a licensing security...

BARNSLEY South MP Stephanie Peacock has launched her World Book Day competition.The competition is open to all children across Barnsley and will close on World Book Day, which takes place on March 7.Ms Peacock said: “To get involved, send a short outline of what your favourite book is and why to stephanie.peacock.mp@parliament.uk, including your full name and postcode.Good luck.”

THE Penistone Paramount are on the hunt for volunteers.There are a variety of roles on offer including meeting and greeting customers and helping distribute leaflets.A spokesperson for the Paramount said: “Please register your interest by submitting a volunteer application form to the Paramount box office by 12pm on Sunday.“A volunteer application form can be downloaded from our website, or a print version can be obtained from the Penistone Paramount...

THE town centre’s Barnsley Civic has begun a new young people’s art initiative thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.The Young Civilians is aimed at people aged between 14 and 24 who are living in Barnsley and have an ambition to study or pursue a career in the arts.The project, which starts in March 2025, will see a group of 16 recruits taking part in training and artist-led masterclasses,...

SOUTH Yorkshire Police have joined up with the fire service and Barnsley Council in a bid to tackle arsonists across the borough.Officers from Barnsley West’s Neighbourhood Policing Team say that in recent weeks they have seen an increase in the number of deliberate fires.The area – which covers Dodworth, Penistone and Hoylandswaine – has subsequently seen an increase in patrols.And officers are keen to point out the consequences for...

THE council has said that waste collections are taking longer since the introduction of a new training programme in December.with bin crews working safely but more slowly.In its latest update, the council says that grey bin collections are now almost all up-to-date and that brown bins are about 75 per cent back on schedule.It also says that catching up on any missed bin collections has taken longer than it had hoped,...

BARNSLEY College is celebrating after being announced as a double finalist in prestigious education awards – including the overall Further Education (FE) College of the Year category.The Educate North Awards have, for more than a decade, recognised excellence, high achievement and growth across the North of England’s education institutions.Alongside being one of eight colleges in the running for the FE College of the Year Award, the college's sustainability efforts are up...

Accessing funding can make or break an entrepreneurial journey. Many aspiring business owners in Barnsley struggle with the challenges of securing financial backing to turn their ideas into reality. By understanding the various funding options available, entrepreneurs can better face the complexities of financing their ventures, enabling them to contribute positively to the community.With the right financial resources, local businesses can thrive, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth. This article will outline practical insights...

FUNDRAISER Jim Morton who spent 537 days walking around the British coastline – raising £50,000 for charity in the process – visited the Penistone and District Probus Club earlier this month. A veteran of the Royal Navy, which Jim had been persuaded to join so he would learn a trade, he had been a gunner but was subsequently unable to find vacancies for that trade. Having served on HMS Gurkha, he decided to...

A SMALL but growing theatre company is bringing its latest production to the stage next month – and is encouraging the community to get involved.A spokesperson said: “Breakaleg Productions is committed to a strong connection with the local community. In fact, everyone connected has been recruited by word of mouth, or advertising in and around Barnsley, their home for the past nine and a half years.” Breakaleg Productions is now inviting theatre...

A LOCAL visitor attraction has won a coveted TV award for the third year running.Cannon Hall Farm’s Robert, David and Roger Nicholson joined their TV pals Jules Hudson, JB Gill and the crew from Daisybeck Studios for the star-studded TV Choice Awards in London.The ‘On The Farm’ series of shows – which Cannon Hall hosts each year – scooped the ‘best factual programme’ title.Robert said: “We saw so many messages...

BARNSLEY Council celebrated the achievements of eighty employees last week at an apprenticeship graduation ceremony.The employees had all successfully completed an apprenticeship with the council and the event also marked the end of National Apprenticeship Week.A council spokesperson said: “Last week, we were proud to host our second Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony to celebrate the incredible achievements of 80 employees who have successfully completed an apprenticeship with us since September 2023. ...

THREE men have been arrested and charged in relation to a significant drugs line in Barnsley.Last Monday (February 10) while out on patrol, Barnsley officers spotted a vehicle they believed to be involved in supplying Class A drugs. The occupants of the vehicle were searched by officers and were found to be in possession of suspected Class A drugs, a quantity of cash and a knuckleduster.Evan James, 34, of Laithes Lane,...

POLICE are appealing for information following a burglary at a West Melton care home.It is reported that between 12.35am and 1.45am on Monday, January 27, a safe containing a quantity of cash as well as jewellery was stolen at Byron Lodge Care Home in the West Melton area.A police spokesperson said: “An investigation was launched, with enquiries ongoing and officers are now appealing for information that will further help with enquiries....

BARNSLEY Hospice has announced the winner of its fundraising lottery.Liam Dyson was surprised when he learnt he’d won the Christmas prize draw – which saw him take home a hamper prize – as he was simply happy to help out the Gawber-based hospice.He said: “We are more than happy to support the brilliant work of Barnsley Hospice through their hospice lottery.“It was a nice surprise to get a knock...