Barnsley town centre visitor numbers continue to “soar” following regeneration

Visitor numbers in Barnsley town centre continue to “soar” this year, with recent data showing an increase of over 30 per cent over the last three months, when compared with the same timeframe before Covid-19 in 2019.

October alone saw over 500,000 visits to the town centre, the highest recorded footfall since The Glass Works opened back in September 2021.

Coun Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture at Barnsley Council, commented: “Momentum has been building since day one of The Glass Works opening, with the launch of our new 13-screen Cineworld helping push visitor numbers to new heights this autumn.

“We’ve got a great mix of activities across the whole town centre now, with popular leisure venues like Superbowl UK and Parkway Cinema, cultural venues like Experience Barnsley and the Cooper Gallery, and many new shops, museum hubs, cafés, bars and restaurants.

“And there’s still more to come, with Urban Burgers, The Botanist and a new shop for Dolly’s Desserts opening soon.

“We’re also aware the country is experiencing a cost-of-living crisis, and with Christmas fast approaching, we are fully committed to putting on a full programme of free family-friendly events, giving people access to free entertainment and continuing to attract the numbers into town to help support our local businesses.”

The town events programme is said to have been a “resounding success” in 2022. The Flavours Food Festival, Fashion Week, Barnsley Big Weekend and Halloween festivities have attracted thousands of visitors, and later this month, the Bright Nights Festival will return, featuring the Christmas Lights Switch-On and three nights of free family fun.

Key leisure anchors Superbowl UK and Cineworld are both said to be trading “very well”. The latest additions to The Glass Works include American diner-style national chain Fridays, which opened on November 16, and South Yorkshire based independent Urban Burgers, opening its doors later this month.

The recently opened Starbucks, part of the Cineworld building, is yet another addition to the growing café culture in Barnsley, joining 200 Degrees, Caffe Botanico, Coffee Boy, Falco Lounge, Old George and several more currently trading successfully in the heart of the town centre.

Barnsley Markets, which is strategically positioned at the heart of the town’s recent regeneration, has also been experiencing a boom, with one local trader describing the numbers they were seeing through the door as “amazing”.

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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