Work to start on final piece of town regeneration ‘jigsaw’

The “Gateway” development, which fronts St Mary’s Street and has attracted £1.2m of European funding, is expected to be completed this November.

Officials including Barnsley Council leader Steve Houghton and representatives from developer Dransfield Properties yesterday attended a soil-cutting ceremony at the site.

Once completed, the Gateway will incorporate six commercial units, up to 21 first-floor offices and 25 parking spaces.

The managing director of Dransfield Properties, Mark Dransfield, said: “We are delighted to be starting work on the Gateway project.

“There has been a great deal of support for this final phase of the development.

“The scheme has been designed to fit in with the street scene and also with the new markets area, so it really will bring something new and enhance this part of the town.”

He added: “We’ve had a good deal of interest from companies keen to move or relocate into Penistone, which is great news for the local economy and shows the confidence that exists in the area.”

The regeneration of Penistone has previously included the building of a new Tesco supermarket, a bowling green and an oak-framed market hall. The town’s fire and ambulance stations were also relocated in 2009 to new premises.

The scheme, however, was not without controversy, because the Tesco store was built on some land previously used for the Penistone Show.