Slip-up shines spotlight on plan for coalfield site partnership

Senior officers and councillors in Barnsley have plans to form a relationship with Harworth Estates, one of the biggest owners of ex-colliery sites, to try to boost regeneration.

The firm, which is the land management arm of mining company UK Coal, owns more than 700 hectares – 1,730 acres – of land in the borough after buying pits during privatisation.

Members of Barnsley Council's ruling cabinet are set to be asked to approve the setting up of a "strategic partnership" with the firm to speed up projects for the derelict land.

It is thought the arrangement, which would last 30 years, will be one of the first of its kind in the country and it is hoped that the scheme will be an "exemplar" for other authorities.

The council was hoping to keep the scheme under wraps, but an "administrative error" meant details of the idea were included on an agenda published earlier this month.

Barnsley Council said yesterday no officer was available to comment on the partnership until it had gone through "proper process" – which would probably be sometime later in the summer.

However, most of the details of the scheme are contained on the mistakenly-published agenda, including proposals to minimise any "potential negative perception of the partnership".

The report, by the council's executive director for development Ann Gosse says much of the land owned by Harworth Estates (HE) is strategically important to the future of the borough.

She adds: "The establishment of a strategic partnership would enable the council to work pro-actively with HE in order to shape future use of a significant proportion of privately owned land.

"It is proposed that the strategic partnership will be in operation for a 30-year period to maximise the strategic aspirations of the vision and its investments."

A partnership document has already been drawn up in which the authority recognises the HE's "unique position as a major landowner/developer across South Yorkshire and specifically within Barnsley."

Development officers have also drawn up a "vision" which would involve both parties working in "collaboration to assist in Barnsley's aspiration to become a 21st century market town".

According to Ms Gosse's report,there are "limited alternative approaches" which would give the council as much control over the development of former coalfield sites.

She says the council and the firm could work independently, but adds that the authority would "lose the opportunity to influence and work collaboratively with HE in respect of future land use of 700 hectares of land".

If the partnership is eventually approved by Barnsley Council's cabinet, a specialist team would be set up within the authority's existing planning and transportation service.

The dedicated workers would then liaise with HE staff to bring forward regeneration projects for pit sites and other coalfield properties.

If the partnership fails to produce what the council calls "positive outcomes" it can be dissolved under the legal arrangements currently being agreed.

Harworth Estates is currently working on a scheme at Waverley, Rotherham, to build a brand new community including 4,000 homes, shops and offices on a former coalfield site.

A spokesman for HE, based at Harworth, near Doncaster, yesterday said the company did not want to comment on the Barnsley arrangement until further discussions had taken place senior council officers.