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BARNSLEY'S DIGITAL CAMPUS

The Digital Campus aims to provide a sustainable, engaging and digitally enabled campus that will be the catalyst for further growth and innovation in our local and regional economy. 

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The Seam Digital Campus currently consists of the DMC01, DMC02, Barnsley College’s Sci-Tech Innovation Centre and is surrounded by the Seam open space car parks, which have long been recognised as an area of opportunity for development in the Local Plan. 

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The DMC provides high quality office space, and meeting rooms for business in the tech, digital and creative sectors. They're here to support business growth for Barnsley and South Yorkshire.

 

The Seam is a site specified in our regional Investment Zone, a ten-year commitment and investment from the UK Government to cluster and scale innovation.  

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The Seam provides the base for the strategic leadership for developing the regional tech ecosystem as part of the TECH SY project, a two year South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined authority project to grow the confidence and capacity to support tech startups and scale ups in our region. 

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THE SITE DEVELOPMENT

What have we done so far: 

Much work has already been completed on the Seam including the development of DMC 02 which opened in 2020.

 

Creating a digital campus in Barnsley has been in the plans for a number of years, ignited by the work being done at the DMC to bring together the public and private sectors to stimulate the growth of tech and digital businesses in Barnsley. We've also worked with Barnsley College to bring in the education sector and help address the talent pipeline for businesses in Barnsley looking to employ people with digital and technical skills. 

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A digital campus for Barnsley will be a space that allows businesses to work with the public sector and education providers to innovate. We will provide a culture that encourages people to be trailblazing, with a cluster of skills on site. 

 

In 2023, we reshaped the plans of Phase one of the The Seam. You can read about that here. 

  
Upcoming plans

We're now starting the work of 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 DMC01 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.  

 

Timescales:

  • Ground investigation works commence on  Monday 15th July for 3 weeks in preparation for the new scheme and to inform the works. This will mean the Seam Lower car park will be closed to all users.   

  • Design development is currently ongoing until September 2024. 

  • Planning Application  

  • Work is currently expected to start early 2025 –  this is subject planning approval and other statutory approvals. 

  • The Lower Seam car park will close during construction for approximately 10 months.  

 

Funding: 

  • The Seam has been allocated Future High Street Funding to deliver works to the Lower Seam. 

  • The regeneration of this site will act as a catalyst to bring forward future phases of development to support the Campus and its ambitions for growth  

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