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Following the resignation of a former council member
a council by-election was held in the Dodworth ward on Thursday 12 December 2024
there were 3 rejected ballot papers and the voter turnout was 24.38% (2,073 votes cast)
has been duly elected to serve the Dodworth ward
You can read the full results on our webpage
Chief Executive of Barnsley Council and Returning Officer for Barnsley
said: “I would like to thank residents from the Dodworth ward for voting in this by-election and for making your vote count.”
© 2025 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
DODWORTH Miners rugby league club won their first game of the season 22-8 at home to Seacroft Sharks
Dodworth had been promoted to Division Two of the Yorkshire League after winning last season’s play-offs
They took the lead through an Alex Seale try but found themselves behind at half-time
The hosts scored 16 unanswered points in the second half with tries by Dom Mannion
Harry Harvey and Joe Ashworth as well as kicks by Joe Perry and Kez Hyde
They are now due to visit Illingworth on Saturday
They beat Guiseley Rangers 30-22 in Division Six
Mark Senior fractured his ankle in a tackle which saw Guiseley reduced to 12 men
Rycroft quickly moved into an 18-0 lead with a brace from Jayden Walker and a try Jordan Grayston who also converted all three
Guiseley replied but captain Tommy Trueman made it 24-6
Rycroft had two players sinbinned and saw their lead cut but Luke Womack’s try made the points safe
Rycroft are now due to visit Sheffield Hawks on Saturday
A FUNDRAISING mad mum and grandmother from Dodworth is hoping to host a reunion of the Dodworth Majorettes this year
Judy Holling is well-known across the town for her fundraising exploits but she’s now setting her signs on a reunion of the Majorettes
A meeting will be held on Wednesday at Dodworth Bowling Club at 8pm to discuss the reunion
Judy is hoping the meeting will help build towards a special reunion later this year
There have been a few personnel changes at Dodworth over Easter
There have been a few changes at Dodworth Colliery M.W as flugel horn Roy Taylor and cornet/percussionist Linda Taylor left the band
A band spokesperson told 4BR: "We would like to thank them both for their input in helping the band progress to where it is today and wish them both well."
We would like to thank them both for their input in helping the band progress to where it is today and wish them both wellDodworth Colliery MWDenis Wick
On a more positive note the band welcome on flugel
Dave recently joined the band on cornet but had previously played flugel with local band Strata
Dodworth currently have a varied engagement schedule ahead and their next outing is to play at an open day at Ristes in Nottingham who restore Rolls Royce and Bentley motor cars
TAGS: Dodworth Colliery M.W. Phoenix
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May 6 • The British Open Spring Festival will be held in Birmingham in 2026
May 6 • The incredible live sounds of Mike Lovatt's 'Brass Pack' can now be enjoyed following the release of their new album
May 6 • The music making will go on long into the night in Stavanger on Friday with a special Midnight Brass treat from Manger Musikklag
May 6 • Whitworth Vale & Healey capture the essence of victory as there are also wins for Delph
Dobcross Silver and St John's Mossley in Buxton
Saturday 10 May • Winter Gardens Complex
May 6 • Midlands Area Champions IBB have an opening for an experienced percussionist
Ambitious and enjoying a varied concert/contest program
we are looking forward to the third section finals 2025
May 6 • Midlands Area Champions IBB have an opening for a full-time Bass player (position negotiable) Ambitious and enjoying a varied concert/contest program
IBB are looking forward to the third section finals 2025
Rehearsals Mon/Thu in Coalville near M1 J22
May 5 • Ocean Brass are inviting applications for our Principal Cornet position
as we prepare for an exciting schedule of concerts and contests in the second section through 2025 and beyond
Mind the Gap: Join the Place North Viability Gap Campaign
Smithy Wood Gate in Dodworth is one of the projects funded/
The housebuilder will deliver 118 homes for the social provider across projects in Barnsley and Doncaster following the arrangement
The pair of schemes are at Smithy Wood Gate in Dodworth near Barnsley
and the Eden Fields development in Edenthorpe
Both will be delivered by Avant Homes’ West Yorkshire division
Avant Homes will deliver a mix of two-bedroom bungalows and one-
two- and three- bedroom homes across townhouses
The first homes will be handed over in spring 2025
with all the homes expected to be complete by summer 2027
The housing mix being delivered at Eden Fields in Edenthorpe comprises one-
two- and three-bedroom semi-detached homes
This is the first deal the housebuilder has secured with WDH (Wakefield & District Housing) with a package of Section 106 and Homes England grant-funded affordable homes
Avant Homes will hand over the first homes to WDH in spring 2025
with all the homes expected to be completed by spring 2028
Avant’s group head of affordable housing delivery
said: “It is fantastic to secure this deal with WDH to provide new affordable homes at our Eden Fields and Smithy Wood Gate developments
“We established the partnership with WDH early in the development process to align our strategies and enhance the number of affordable homes being delivered at both sites
This helped shape the housing mix and influence the specification to allow for the timely delivery of our quality homes
“Edenthorpe and Dodworth are both excellent places to live and our new partnership will give people the opportunity to live in practically designed
energy-efficient homes within these thriving communities.”
Avant currently has a near-term pipeline of more than 500 affordable homes to be delivered across 17 developments
This is in addition to 600 Section 106 affordable homes which are currently under construction across the Chesterfield-headquartered group’s operations
The group’s regional division is on site with nine live developments
including Odette’s Point in Keighley and Sorby Park
said: “It’s great to work in partnership with Avant Homes to deliver more high-quality
affordable homes to communities in South Yorkshire
“We’re excited to continue building and acquiring properties in this area with plans for almost 700 affordable homes over the next four years in South Yorkshire
Partnerships like this help us to create vibrant communities with affordable homes our customers can be proud of.”
Read our
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Located on a 30-acre site north of Rawmarsh
all of the houses would be affordable and developed in conjunction with Vico Homes
The housebuilder has completed the survey stage and is clearing the site for work to begin at its second Sheffield scheme
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A ‘SCANDALOUS’ decision to flatten two sought-after council properties in order to make a development site more attractive to housing firms will not result in them being replaced - despite no progress being made at the site in years
Letters were sent to several neighbouring properties on South Road
several years ago to inform them of the demolition work which lasted about a month
The cost of demolishing the two properties and making the site fit for building was £28,604
the developer behind the original 146-home planning application
outlined its bid for the land in 2018 but concerns over its first choice access route - via a cul-de-sac on Bark Meadows - had delayed a decision
They then pulled out but another developer - Keepmoat Homes - lodged their own 126-house bid but no update has been provided since it was registered with the council in January 2022
The move to demolish the two homes - seen as a sweetener - irked then-councillor Peter Fielding
who campaigned to save two ‘much-needed’ properties
and the mantle was then taken on by Coun Andy Waters
“These were four-bed homes which we know are arguably the most sought-after of all within the council’s stock,” he told the Chronicle
“They basically demolished them in order to make the site more enticing as it was decided the route in - which was effectively being blocked by them - was the best solution
“This planning application has been on the books for a long time but I believe it’s pointless and a waste of time as I’m led to believe that the recreation field is owned by Sport England
there are less than 150 four-bedroom homes on the council’s 18,000-strong property register
The number of households waiting for a council house in Barnsley has been significantly reduced recently
A total of 7,762 households were waiting for a home this time last year but it’s now down to just over 5,000 thanks to a new scheme which has cut people many who live out of the borough and had submitted long-term expressions of interest off the list
a surge in applications has been recorded after a rule change under the Labour government late last year
cabinet member for regeneration and culture
said: “There are currently no plans to develop the cleared plot on South Road
“The houses on South Road were demolished in order to help facilitate access into the allocation to deliver additional new homes in the area - including new affordable housing
“The development of the wider site will be considered via the planning process
“I am not aware of the claims about ownership but it’s something we will check.”
ALL the candidates for the Dodworth by-election - which was called following a councillor’s resignation - have now been confirmed
The election is set to take place December 12 and is to replace the position left after Sam Christmas’ resignation
who represented the Liberal Democrat party
Voters wanting to apply for a postal vote must do so by 5pm on November 27
and the deadline for applying for a proxy vote is a week later
All five candidates up for the position have now been confirmed
They are Steven John Burkinshaw of the Conservative Party
Trevor Mayne for Green and Andy Waters of the Liberal Democrats
chief executive and returning officer for Barnsley Council
said: “We’d like to thank Coun Christmas for his service on the council since 2023 and the support he’s provided to the people of Dodworth
“This by-election is an important opportunity for residents to have their say on who represents you and makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in Barnsley
“I urge all eligible voters to take part in this democratic process by casting your vote on Thursday December 12.”
Dodworth MW won 2-0 at near neighbours Silkstone United to overtake them in the County Senior Premier League
a point and a place clear of Silkstone who only have two games left this season while Dodworth have seven to play
Wombwell Main won 2-1 at home to Jubilee Sports
They fell behind but Ryan Wingrove and Bailey Cowsell struck for fifth-placed Main
North Gawber won 4-1 at home to Kiveton Park in Division One
Royston lost 4-2 at home to North Gawber reserves in Division Two
Elsecar Main went down 2-1 at Sheffield City reserves
SILKSTONE United are due to host Dodworth MW in a derby on Saturday in the County Senior League
Dodworth drew 1-1 at home to Oughtbridge in the Premier Division
are two points behind eighth-placed Silkstone so will overtake them with a win
North Gawber won 4-1 at Thorncliffe Villa in Division One
Carey-Joe Welford scored twice with Jake Bedford and Josh Collinson also on target
Barnsley Town lost 3-1 at Athersley Rec reserves
Matthew Roberts scored twice and Sam Muxlow once
11 points behind the leaders with three games in hand
DODWORTH MW won 2-0 at near neighbours Silkstone United to overtake them in the Premier Division
Ryan Wingrove’s opener was cancelled out then Bailey Cowsell won it for fifth-placed Main who have four games to play
Penistone Church reserves won 3-1 at Sheffield City
The Gawber goal-scorers were Lewis Goddard
DODWORTH Miners had to dig deep to book their place in the Division Three play-off final this weekend
They beat Upton 20-14 last Saturday to ensure a crack at Bramley Buffaloes at Featherstone Rovers’ ground tomorrow
It will be a bit of a personal battle as Bramley just edged out Dodworth in the seeding on points scored in the league
Chairman Matthew Lock said: “It’s a chance to right a few wrongs for us
“It is going to be a big occasion and we’ve got two busloads coming up to watch and a lot of our juniors
“There is going to be a lot of support
“It is the first play off final we have been involved in since the 2019 rebirth of the club
“We won just as many games as they did this season
“Without the dedication of the staff and players this would not have been possible and it’s all credit to them
“We want to push on to the next level.”
Captain Adam Edwards added: "Myself and the lads can't wait for the game Saturday morning
"It's what we've worked all season towards and to get here feels like a huge achievement in itself
"We're going do the town proud and bring the trophy back to Dodworth on Saturday."
Coach Matthew Brocksom said: “We have already achieved all of our goals going into this final match
We are the underdogs and that’s the way we like it."
After two early penalties for the opposition
Harry Harvey and Kieran Hyde put Dodworth ahead with two tries and Joe Perry ensured maximums with the conversions
A unconverted try got Upton back to within four points before Joe Ashworth completed a try off the training ground and Perry again kicked the extras
Another try for Upton kept them in it before Perry extended the lead with a late penalty
Lock added: “We have beaten them four times this season now but this was when it really mattered
“It was a really physical match.”
DODWORTH under 16s won away at Hillsborough Pumas 4-2
Brierley Cubs under 16s beat Airedale Blacks 3-2 away in a cup game
Kendon Hickey scored once and Morgan Hides twice
Players of the match were Zak Mawson and George Crossland
Barnsley Schoolgirls under 14s beat Doncaster 7-0 in the Yorkshire Federation league at Frickley
Barnsley’s goal-scorers were Isabelle Moxon
Josie Charlesworth was named player of the match
Penistone Church Girls under 14s Blacks continued their impressive start to the season
Layla Denton opened the scoring and two further goals from Hattie Woodcock ensured a fourth successive away victory for Church
Omniah Alnahhal was coaches’ player of the game
Hattie Woodcock took the parents’ trophy home
A COUNCILLOR’S resignation will result in a by-election being held in the Dodworth ward
He said he took the ‘difficult’ decision to step down as a councillor due to work commitments
Barnsley Council will now set out plans for a by-election in the Dodworth ward
Barnsley Liberal Democrats are due to announce their candidate soon
He said: "It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a ward councillor in Barnsley
“I have only been a councillor for a short amount of time and had hoped to serve residents for much longer
and it has been a stressful and challenging time trying to find new employment
“Thankfully I have now secured a new full-time job but unfortunately that job is not compatible with the demands of being an effective - and available - local councillor
“I feel that my residents deserve a councillor who can represent them fully rather than one they never see
“I have therefore made the difficult decision to stand down
“I would like to say a huge thank you to the residents who placed their trust in me.”
She told the Chronicle: “It has been a pleasure working with Sam on the council and I know this has been a very difficult decision for him
“Sam has been instrumental in challenging Barnsley Labour over national issues such as the scandalous cut to pensioners’ winter fuel payments and the heartless two-child benefit cap
as well as being a fantastic local councillor for his residents
“We are incredibly disappointed to lose him from the group but wish him all the best in his new role.”
SILKSTONE United lost their final game of the County Senior Premier Division season and now face a nervous wait to discover if they will slip into the relegation zone
After losing 2-1 at home to second-placed Hemsworth MW
are two places and two points clear of the bottom three
But the two sides directly below them – Jubilee Sports and AFC Dronfield – each have two games to play and are one and two points behind respectively
Three teams are due to go down as it stands but that could be reduced due to a restructuring of the leagues if necessary
Wombwell Main won 1-0 home to Hepworth United and moved up to third with two league games left as well as a cup semi-final
Dodworth MW won 1-0 at Jubilee Sports and are now sixth with three games still to play
Barnsley Town lost 2-1 at Sheffield Union in Division One
They have played all their games and will finish eighth having won one of the last 11 games they have played
North Gawber reserves won 5-1 over Wombwell Town reserves in Division Two
EXTRACTS from the Chronicle will be featured at Barnsley Book Festival as one author utilises historic newspaper stories to piece together the case of a brutal murder that shocked the nation centuries back
National press descended upon Dodworth in the summer of 1886 when PC Alfred Austwick
The hunt for Murphy took six weeks with people from across Victorian society checking the papers regularly for the latest updates
Now award-winning author Hilary Robinson has collected data from a variety of sources - including early Chronicle stories - to tell the thrilling tale and look into the wider social factors that created this national obsession
Yet her interest in the murder of PC Austwick came about by accident
as she was originally looking into the World War One soldiers from Lumby - where she lives - who died in the war
“I discovered this policeman who was murdered and grew up here
“The British Newspaper Archive is currently in the process of digitising all the newspapers from the 1700s onwards so I looked through for information about him
“Because his murderer went on the run it became a national story and I was fascinated about how this became such a sensation in a time when communication was limited.”
Her research was supported by local historian Steve Wyatt
will be launching the book at Dodworth Library
only a stone’s throw away from where the crime occurred nearly 200 years ago
“It’s really exciting,” Hilary added
“I’m really happy to engage people how they used to live - there’s so many lessons to be learned
“It’ll be great to reflect back on that only a few hundred yards from where this all happened.”
PLANS to build five new properties have been turned down by Barnsley Council
An application for work to take place off Dodworth Green Road in Dodworth was originally submitted in March this year
and two neighbouring properties objected to the plans
Their concerns includes insufficient separation distances and the impact upon residential amenity
The council’s planning board backed residents’ concerns and the application was rejected last week
A report said: “Although the application site is within close proximity to other residential dwellings
the principle of further housing development is not considered to be acceptable at this site
“The development would significantly reduce the size of the existing garden
adversely impacting the setting of the host dwelling
“The proposal would erode the spacious and green character which the site contributes towards
and the host dwelling would lose its extensive garden
“This is further emphasised by the proposed tree loss and urbanisation of the site
the application proposal is unacceptable in terms of the impact upon trees
character of the area and the residential amenity and is therefore recommended for refusal.”
A PRESTIGIOUS local youth choir performed in front of their MP in Dodworth as part of a series of spring concerts last month
attended one of five Barnsley Youth Choir concerts as part of a junior choir showcase at Horizon Community College
featured children from across Barnsley including Dodworth and Penistone
and took place over two days at the end of March
Marie said: “I’m so proud that our constituency was hosting a day of Barnsley Youth Choir concerts at Horizon Community College in Dodworth
“I had the pleasure of seeing some of the junior choir members singing and performing to a packed audience
“The entire show was fantastic and great to see some amazing talent.”
The songs performed included ‘For A Moment’ from the film Wonka and ‘Life’s a Happy Song’ from The Muppets
The junior choir members also got a chance to talk to Marie about the experience
She added: “The stand-out song for me was ‘Hushabye Mountain’ from Chitty
sung beautifully by all the young members and
The youth choir has around 700 singers – up to 24 years old – and is volunteer-run and provides performance opportunities for young people in Barnsley
They regularly perform at local community hubs and compete at both national and international levels
The choir is due to perform again in Marie’s constituency at the Penistone Gala on June 8 and will return to Horizon Community College of their Christmas concerts in December
said: “It was wonderful to see children perform with such skill and confidence and share exciting music of so many different styles
“We have had some fantastic feedback from our sell-out audiences and feel so proud of members who performed at such a high level.”
The industrial unit is located in Dodworth
Truswell Haulage has disposed of its base in a sale and leaseback agreement for £3.4m
which sits on a 10.15 acre site on Fall Bank Industrial Estate in Dodworth
was sold with a 15-year leaseback to the long established haulier
Breck Holdings acquired the asset as part of its long-term investment portfolio
commented: “Completing this strategic sale leaseback deal marks a pivotal chapter for our client
the company can now prioritise ongoing investment into the business to secure its long term future and further grow its operations
“With a backdrop of higher interest rates and strong underlying industrial values
releasing capital through sale and leaseback is proving to be a good alternative for business owners.”
Two of the three new industrial units at Northminster Business Park have been snapped up
as demand for high-spec industrial units continues across Yorkshire
The funding will guide regeneration projects spread across 32 towns
with the aim of positioning them for future private and public sector investment
RYCROFT Hammers rugby league team won 30-10 home to Guiseley Rangers in Yorkshire Division Six
It was a third win of the season and left them sixth out of eight with six points from nine games
Dodworth MW won 18-10 at Upton in Division Three
behind leaders Bramley Buffaloes on points difference
having won nine and lost one of their ten games
They have four games left including a potential title-decider at Bramley on August 31
Dearne Valley Bulldogs stayed top of Division Five thanks to a 24-0 home win over Crigglestone All Blacks
WITH a rise in use of electric vehicles and more and more solar panels being fitted to homes
energy suppliers are preparing to reinforce infrastructure in one community to avoid disaster
located near the entrance to the Miners’ Association
feeds multiple tenanted and private homes - as well as small businesses - with electricity
heat pumps or any other low-carbon technology is to progress at anything like the targets both central government and Barnsley Council would like to see
the substation will need reinforcing - a costly upgrade
Energise Barnsley is looking to challenge this expensive infrastructure dilemma
by seeing whether there are more efficient ways to balance the generation and demand of electricity from residential homes and small businesses on the feeder lines into the substation
said: “At the moment we all have a very singular relationship with the electricity grid through our retail supplier
and a first come first served basis if you want an EV charger or solar panels
“We need to start to look collectively together with our neighbouring properties on the feeder line
to see how frequently we can balance our supply and demand throughout the year
we have tenanted homes in our project which are using 60 per cent less electricity from the national grid
ever since we installed solar and a smart battery
“These homes have freed up capacity as they demand less from the grid
which in theory should mean that other homes which are large electricity users should benefit from the additional capacity whilst those using less are rewarded
“In Dodworth it means that private homes should be able to install electric vehicle chargers because our tenanted homes are using less
and in return the electric charger will be flexible to soak up excess energy on the grid
perhaps from our excess solar generation in summer at midday
“Within our own projects we are now installing solar PV on east and west-facing roofs
The work in Dodworth is the first part of a £14.5m community DSO network innovations project
as providers look for further ways to help homes generate their own electricity
it’s an opportunity to ‘look under the bonnet’ of the current set-up and find ways to improve efficiency
the CEO of national climate action group Ashden
visited some of the new solar installations in Dodworth on Wednesday
before the public were invited to a drop-in event where they could ask their questions about the upcoming changes
added: “You’ve got to be supportive of these types of things
“Even though I’m not on the Labour side of things - I’m a Lib Dem councillor - I’m totally supportive of this type of project because we need to be investing in energy from renewable sources
“It’s the type of thing I’m very interested in and it’s just the start
we’re getting people’s ideas and seeing what we can do within the community.”
Housebuilder Avant Homes is constructing 118 new homes for WDH after agreeing a £21m deal with the social housing provider
The housebuilder will deliver 118 new homes across its Eden Fields development in Edenthorpe
It is the first deal the housebuilder has secured with WDH with a package of Section 106 and Homes England grant-funded affordable homes
Avant Homes’ multi-tenure strategy seeks to maximise housing supply though the provision of new homes for private sale
the private rental sector (PRS) and additional affordable housing
Construction of the new homes is now underway
The housing mix being delivered at Eden Fields in Edenthorpe comprises one
with all properties expected to be completed by spring 2028
Avant Homes will deliver a mix of two-bedroom bungalows and one
two and three bedroom homes across townhouses
with all homes due to be complete by summer 2027
Avant Homes group head of affordable housing delivery
“This helped shape the housing mix and influence the specification to allow for the timely delivery of our quality homes
“Our multi-tenure strategy is focused on delivering quality new homes for everyone and we look forward to continue working with WDH as part of this commitment.”
Avant Homes has currently secured a near term pipeline of more than 500 affordable homes to be delivered across 17 developments
This is in addition to 600 Section 106 affordable homes which are currently under construction
Both Eden Fields and Smithy Wood Gate are being delivered by regional operating business Avant Homes West Yorkshire
Avant Homes West Yorkshire is part of the Avant Homes Group
which operates across the north of England
Midlands and Scotland from eight regional operating businesses
said: “It’s great to work with Avant Homes to deliver more high-quality
A CONTROVERSIAL decision which saw plans for almost 200 homes narrowly approved following a tie-breaking vote at a heated meeting last week must see provisions put in place to ease traffic woes
Avant Homes received permission to build 179 houses on fields which neighbour the Trans Pennine Trail off Smithy Wood Lane and Calver Close
The plan had looked set to be rejected when councillors on the planning board hit eight against and seven for until chairman Coun Ken Richardson - whose casting decision in a rare tie-break situation carries more weight - voted in favour
The housing site - which will be known as Hay Green Park - is split into two by Smithy Wood Lane
which will see 38 homes to its west and 141 to its east
said: “The approval of the homes via what was such a close vote - eight against and eight in favour at the end - shows the concerns that were raised by myself and other councillors are strong
“Particular attention around traffic issues
the layout of certain housing and more need to be addressed
I did speak to officers who assured me concerns like the traffic going into the site during the development phase would be taken into account
“I am speaking to officers about the issues that are frequently raised by myself
such as traffic around Dodworth’s High Street and further afield.”
A total of 33 letters of objection were received which predominantly cited increased traffic
loss of green space on the well-used Trans Pennine Trail route and the impact on wildlife
both parcels of land were allocated for development purposes in the council’s local plan blueprint
although initial plans to access the site from Smithy Wood Lane were dropped in favour of using Calver Close
‘Restricted’ working hours will be controlled
with 8am while 6pm timeframes being set Monday to Friday and 9am while 2pm on Saturday
with no work being permitted on Sundays and bank holidays
A spokesperson from Avant Homes added: “We are committed to building quality new homes for everyone in popular residential locations - Smithy Wood Gate is an excellent example of this
“We now look forward to starting work on the new and thriving community that we are building in Dodworth
energy-efficient homes at various price points
“The development has a mix of properties that will appeal to everyone from first-time buyers
we fully anticipate that these homes will prove extremely popular with prospective buyers in the local area
“Our objective as a housebuilder is to build quality new homes for everyone.”
are set to expand with bigger premises and more staff
are moving to Dodworth and creating six new jobs
The business were recognised in 2022 with the prestigious Queen’s Award for enterprise and innovation
Creators of the innovative ‘Vamoosh®’ and ‘Boss It™’ brands
sales have doubled over the last 18 months
leaving them will little choice but to move to a bigger unit in Dodworth which has 100 per cent more space
Cares Laboratory focus on inventing and developing innovative laundry and cleaning products that solve those little everyday problems
is their best seller and is available online and in-store across the UK
The Vamoosh® product line has since expanded offering the only 6-in-1 Washing Machine Cleaner to dissolve clogged up hair
with its patented ‘Hair Dissolving Technology’
and a Dishwasher Cleaner which uses 90 per cent less plastic compared to leading brands
Cares Laboratory launched the innovative Boss It™ brand
the Rapid-Dryer Ball uses its patented ‘HeatBounce’ Technology to redistribute heat around the drum
This cuts the amount of time needed to dry clothes
while slicing up to 40 per cent off energy costs
the Boss It™ Rapid-Dryer Ball gained the widely-recognised Good Housekeeping Institute accreditation after passing rigorous lab and consumer quality testing
Both brands harbour social media super fans including Instagram cleaning gurus Mrs Hinch and Lynsey Queen of Clean who has frequently demonstrated various products to ITV’s ‘This Morning’ viewers
director and co-founder of Cares Laboratory
commented on the expansion: “The growth we’ve experienced in recent years has been phenomenal
After moving to a larger premises in Redbrook in June 2022
our continued success necessitated another move
With the launch of Boss It™ and our plans for further product expansions
our new space at Dodworth Business Park offers the flexibility needed to support our growth and expand our export
“This move will also provide capacity for approximately six new roles within the next 12 months
we remain committed to being a local Barnsley business
We’re excited about the move and the future it brings.”
The business received the Queen’s Award for enterprise and innovation in 2022
the Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and Tom Abbey
FOR ten years a regular community event has been helping older people in town stay social
The Superjam Tea Parties run once a month at Holiday Inn
providing a dementia-friendly space where isolated
enjoy a hot meal and see some live entertainment
This year the parties will celebrate their tenth anniversary and after all this time continue to go on stronger than ever
The parties were established by freelance community consultant Kathy Markwick and general manager of Dodworth’s Holiday Inn Ann Kelly
Kathy told the Chronicle: “We’re trying to make it extra special this year for our tenth anniversary
“Obviously over the years we’ve lost some of our regular attendees
“I think it averages at about 100 people attending
“People really enjoy it - it doesn’t start until 1pm but some people start arriving at midday
“We would end at 3pm and people didn’t want to leave
“They all really look forward to it - after Covid we all know what it’s like not have something to look forward to
but some of these people are still living like that
“It helps them get out and stay social.”
the Superjam Tea Parties have been nominated for the Love Where You Live award at this year’s Proud of Barnsley
“It’s wonderful,” Kathy added
“At the beginning we didn’t expect it to go on this long
“Us organisers enjoy it just as much as the people who come for it.”
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FURIOUS residents who lodged scores of objections after plans to build almost 200 houses on a ‘wildlife haven’ broke cover have lost their battle - after a councillors’ vote went down to a dramatic tiebreaker
The plan to build 179 dwellings off Smithywood Lane and Calver Close in Gilroyd faced opposition at Tuesday’s meeting but was approved when chair of the planning board
made the final call after seven councillors voted for and eight voted against
Coun Chris Wray raised multiple issues with the plan
particularly concerns about the local wildlife and effects on traffic levels across Dodworth
he did admit that if the council were willing to address the issues he would be happy to see development move forward
He told the Chronicle: “My main concern in the past has been access
“I still don’t think the access plans are perfect
“If the council’s got justified and good proposals I’m happy to accept them.”
Coun Dave Leech of the St Helen’s ward
explaining that if he could ‘borrow a HGV’ he’d show everyone why the plans won’t work
“Using HGVs around there is going to be hell - that’s definitely a no-no,” he added
“I can’t see any way they are going to be able to get down there
“I can borrow a HGV and show you how it won’t be possible
“That area is all made up of little roads - you can’t come down from Gilroyd or Dodworth if you want to bring them off the motorway.”
The plan consists of two parcels of land split by Smithywood Lane - the western parcel will house 38 dwellings
14 of which will be ‘affordable’
while the eastern would hold the remaining 141 properties
This will consist of 30 pairs of semi-detached houses
two blocks of four terraced properties and 49 detached dwellings
Forty of those will be classed as affordable housing
Residents blasted the decision after they had sent in more than 30 objections in the weeks prior to the meeting
who’s lived in the area her whole life
said the plans were ‘disgusting’
“I don’t think the field is safe,” she added
“I’ve lived in my property for 24 years and lived in Gilroyd all my life
“When I was a kid I played on that field - I’ve seen how it’s moved and dipped
“When some workers came out to do drilling investigations my garden wall cracked - if they end up doing more work I’ll wake up one day and my wall will have collapsed
“It’s all small roads around here and they expect to put 170 more cars on them
“We haven’t got the infrastructure to handle it - doctor surgeries
schools and chemists just can’t handle it
“The wildlife there over the last three years has become abundant
“People have captured footage of barn owls
all of which are declining elsewhere.”
HIGHWAYS bosses who were accused of not taking road safety seriously despite outlining ambitions to reduce all fatalities on Barnsley’s roads have hit back - but warned numerous campaign groups that their calls for action will not be prioritised unless accident data backs up their claims
The row was prompted when Coun Will Fielding
said a number of concerns had been fielded by colleagues about the area which connects High Street
just one personal injury collision was recorded between January 1
the statistics have been refuted by Coun Fielding
who said the records don’t reflect the true number of near misses and minor injuries known of by locals in recent years - something which councillors believe is the same across the town
They said: “The latest figures we’re given were taken during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when traffic levels were low
so they’re not a true reflection of the problems faced at that junction
“They’re also not a comfort to those affected by the goings-on at the crossroads
which are a well-known and long-standing issue
“A proper report - without the references to South Yorkshire Police’s data which only shows injuries and fatalities - is needed.”
Statistics from the Department of Transport show there were 430 casualties reported on Barnsley roads in 2022 - down from 485 the year before - but last year’s are still to be revealed
A road casualty is described as a person killed or injured in a collision but casualties are sub-divided into killed
The council’s ambition is to reduce the number of fatalities by at least 50 per cent by 2030
with a longer aim of zero people killed or seriously injured by 2050
cabinet spokesperson for environment and highways
said sites for work were chosen on a worst-first basis - and ruled out Dodworth’s crossroads
“Areas with the highest level of risk receive the greatest priority,” he added
we use personal injury collision (PIC) data obtained by South Yorkshire Police using the ‘Crash’ collision reporting system
“This records information about the collision
weather and other factors that contributed to the collision
“The data is analysed by staff to see if there are any concerns as to the frequency and nature of the collisions
“All causation factors are thoroughly investigated and
“We have a statutory duty to monitor all collisions - each year we interrogate the database to find the sites in Barnsley with the highest level of risk and then seek to resolve issues with these sites using the available funding
“The crossroads do not currently meet the criteria for the provision of any road safety measures
especially given the fact that we have sites in the borough where serious personal injury and fatalities have occurred
“It is absolutely ethical that these sites should be prioritised for the road safety funding that is available
I agree that PIC data alone does not represent the complete picture of the problem so it would be great if the information we receive would record damage-only collisions
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By Ariana Hashtrudi2024-06-25T09:32:00+01:00
Avant Homes has been given planning approval for a £41.9m scheme to deliver 179 new homes in Dodworth in South Yorkshire
which were approved by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council last Tuesday will deliver one
The work is due to start in August and the first residents are expected to move into their new homes in March next year.
the £41.9m development would be built on a greenfield site in an area of historical coal mining activity.
>See also: Honey submits plans for 185-home scheme in South Yorkshire
>See also: Avant acquires site for £31m scheme in east Scotland
The site falls within junction 37 of the M1
National Highways placed a ‘holding direction’ on the application for some months
which works to restrict the planning approval
National Highways felt satisfied that the road network would not be significantly affected by the scheme and decided to lift the holding direction.
managing director at Avant Homes West Yorkshire said: ”The development has mix of properties that will appeal to everyone from first time buyers
Landscape: Rosetta Landscape Designs Chartered Landscape Architects
Transport assessment and residential travel plan: Optima
The UK’s social housing sector is undergoing a significant transformation as it works to decarbonise its heat and hot water systems
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PLANS to demolish a vacant social care facility building in Dodworth and replace it with a new nursery have been submitted to the council
the former facility on High Street - which has been empty for more than a year - will be torn down to make way for the new Willow Day premises
A planning report states: “Willow Day wishes to erect a new purpose built property on the site of 2A Dodworth High Street for the sole purpose of providing quality
affordable and much needed day-care for the local community
“If the application is successful we would also like to complete the community garden at the front of the property to provide a focal point for the local community
“Willow Day Nursery Limited will provide high quality care and education for children from three months to five years
provide additional jobs within the community
establish links with St John’s Primary School and local childminders
offer ‘stay and play’ sessions and act as a hub of support for families where appropriate advice and support can be given
“Our aim is to start children on the path to life long learning and set the firm foundations for them to achieve all that they wish in a safe
stimulating and nurturing environment where every child’s needs are met
“The team firmly believe that the development of the whole child is central to all that we do
“This will be achieved by providing a safe
exciting and nurturing environment where secure relationships are built
education and experiences are of a high quality and links are made with the local community and wider world.”
A total of 44 neighbours have been made aware of the application
Age UK Barnsley are delighted to confirm route details for 50km for the 50 Plus
The walk will be 50 kilometres around the Barnsley borough
starting at 6:00am in Barnsley Town Centre and aiming to visit as many towns and villages as possible throughout the course of the day
before cumulating in Barnsley town centre on the Saturday evening
The confirmed route and stages of the walk are as follows:
Stage A – Walkers will meet in Barnsley Town Centre at 6:00am and set off on the walk
Stage B – Barnsley Town Centre to the Dodworth Tap
Stage C – Dodworth Tap to the Rose and Crown at Darton
Stage D – Rose and Crown to Royston Co-op Food on Royston High Street
Stage E – Royston Co-op to Age UK Barnsley’s Cudworth Shop on Barnsley Road
Stage F – Age UK Barnsley Cudworth Shop to the Cross Keys at Darfield
Stage G – Darfield Cross Keys to Age UK Barnsley Wombwell Shop on the High Street
Stage H – Age UK Barnsley Wombwell Shop to Elsecar Heritage Centre
Stage I – Elsecar Heritage Centre to Tankersley Welfare Hall on Pilley Lane
Stage J – Tankersley Welfare Hall to Worsbrough Mill
Stage K – Worsbrough Mill to Locke Park Café
Stage L – Locke Parke Café to Barnsley Town Centre
There are lots of ways that you can get involved in the 50km for the 50 plus
Age UK Barnsley Chief Executive Debby Bunn said: “We are delighted to be able to announce details of the route for 50km for the 50 plus and urge everyone to get involved
“We are a fiercely independent local charity who rely on the generous donations of time and money from local people and every penny we raise through 50km for the 50 plus helps support the work that we do on behalf of older people in Barnsley
“We want to make this an accessible and enjoyable event for everyone; having good fun whilst at the same time raising funds for Age UK Barnsley.”
ROADWORK ROUND-UP: Several areas will be affected by new repair work in the coming days
Motorists have been warned to expect delays in the town centre next week
Peel Street will be the subject of work by Northern Powergrid between Monday and Wednesday
Delays are likely whilst traffic control measures are in place
A number of Dodworth roads will be closed overnight for approximately one week
Barnsley Road and Dodworth Green Road – near to the Dodworth Crossroads – will be closed from 8pm until 5am
Barnsley Council will undertake work including the replacement of the worn carriageway and installation of new road markings
A lane on the M1 near Barnsley will be closed overnight next week
From 9pm next Friday until 9.30am the following day
a lane will be closed both northbound and southbound from junction 37 to 38 for barrier repairs
Motorists have been warned to expect delays of around ten minutes
Motorists are being told to expect delays on a Darfield road next week
Saltersbrook Road will see temporary traffic lights in place on Tuesday between 7.30am and 3pm whilst Openreach conduct work in the area
Residents and motorists have been told that delays are likely
A lane on junction 38 of the M1 northbound will be closed until next week
will reopen next Thursday whilst general cleaning and maintenance work takes place
Two roads in Elsecar will be closed until next Friday whilst Barnsley Council undertake works
Fitzwilliam Street and Hill Street – from Cobcar Street to Armroyd Lane – were closed from Monday
They will re-open a week today after Barnsley Council’s maintenance work is completed
Temporary traffic lights will be placed on a Kendray street today
motorists have been told to expect delays on Hunningley Lane whilst Yorkshire Water conduct work in the area
FORTY years ago there was optimism about Barnsley’s most important industry with a productivity record broken at Dodworth Colliery
Miners at Dodworth had been on strike in September 1978 at a time when the pit had lost £2m in the preceding six months
That was an incredible sum - equivalent to something like £10m today after adjusting for inflation
miners were celebrating and being congratulated by management
The 1,350 employed at the colliery had managed to make a profit every week since that strike
In the last week of January 1979 they had excelled themselves by smashing the colliery’s then 15-year-old record output by mining 21,455 tonnes of coal - an average of 3.8 tonnes a man shift
That really was some going when it compared to the national average at the time of 2.2 tonnes
The record was even more remarkable because three of the four faces being mined in the Silkstone and Whinmoor seams at the time were being mined using the ‘advance method’
as opposed to the retreat mining method which was more usually associated with the breaking of productivity records
Colliery manager Derek Summerfield said production was up from all faces
“The figures are very good and well above the national average,” he said at the time
“Obviously a lot of effort has gone into it
“I think the incentive bonus scheme has helped but this increased productivity could
“A multi-million pound scheme to sink a new shaft at the Redbrook end of the workings is currently being considered and the board will now look at it more favourably with these kind of production figures
“The shaft is necessary for ventilation for further workings at the pit
But NUM delegate Terry Bristow said he believed the incentive bonus scheme had played only a minimal part in the increased production
“There are a lot of factors which contribute to success in mining including geological factors and industrial relations
Everything seems to have clicked together now.”
The jubilation was relatively short lived however
The celebrations came just three months before Margaret Thatcher was elected prime minister
Within five years thousands of miners across the borough would be locked in a bitter yearlong strike the ramifications of which would last generations
Just 15 years after that photo shoot outside Dodworth Colliery
the very last mine within the Barnsley borough closed for good leaving the town in a pit of economic despair
The effects of the loss of the entire mining industry are still felt today
That optimism of early 1979 was sadly misplaced
XFASTINDEX
will deliver 179 new homes comprising a mix of one
Thirteen of the homes will be built to Avant’s own design of energy-efficient house types and 40 will be designated as “affordable” homes
Work at Smithy Wood Gate is expected to start on site in August
with the first residents expected to move into their new homes in March 2025
Avant Homes West Yorkshire managing director Richard Hosie
said: “We are committed to building quality new homes for everyone in popular residential locations
Smithy Wood Gate is an excellent example of this
“We now look forward to starting work on the new and thriving community that we are building in Dodworth
“The development has mix of properties that will appeal to everyone from first-time buyers to second-steppers
we fully anticipate that these homes will prove extremely popular with prospective buyers in the local area.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
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OFFICERS are appealing for information after a man was threatened with an axe at Dodworth train station
two men were seen carrying bolt cutters at the station
They were seen to leave the cutters at the station before leaving the area
A third man entered the station and moved the bolt cutters and he was then threatened by the two men before one of them lifted up his top to reveal a small axe
Officers are keen to speak to the men involved in the incident
A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “Officers believe the men in the images may have information which could help their investigation
please contact British Transport Police by phoning 0800 405040 quoting reference 486 of March 22.”
A GROUP of travellers have set up camp at an industrial estate in Dodworth
They were reported to have stopped at Fall Bank Industrial Estate early this week
The land is privately owned and the council is now working to remove the group from the land
cabinet spokesperson for adults and communities
said: “The council is aware of reports of a traveller site at Dodworth Industrial Estate
and we are assisting and advising the land owner.”
A DODWORTH dad who took a teenage girl to the woods to have sex with her has been jailed for more than five years
started talking to the youngster on Facebook before the pair arranged to meet in Sheffield in April 2019
Judge David Dixon told those at Sheffield Crown Court that if she had been just months younger
Woodcock would have been facing a charge of rape rather than sexual activity with a child
He added: “She has now started self-harming
cutting herself with a blade because of the five minutes you thought you were entitled to
Woodock was jailed for five years and two months
A DODWORTH chippy has been named as one of the top 50 fish and chip takeaways in the UK
was the only restaurant to achieve the award in Barnsley from Fry Magazine
The chippy was marked on more than 40 aspects of their business - following an unannounced visit - which included the quality of food and customer service
With the pass mark set at a high 97 per cent
Shaw’s scored an impressive 98 per cent - the mystery diner praised the cleanliness of the venue
as well as the ‘excellent quality’ food and customer service
Director Mike Shaw said: “As a family-run small business
we have experienced many challenges over the years but these past 12 months have been the most challenging
“We could not be more thrilled to achieve this award as it is a great reflection on all the hard work and commitment our family have put in
our unwavering drive to only buy the very best sustainable
locally-grown spuds and of course the tremendous work the whole team have put in
“We could not have achieved this award without our amazing team members and all the effort and pride they put into their work
A POST Office described as a ‘vital’ part of the Dodworth community will close later this month - although the Chronicle can reveal a new home for it has been identified
More than 1,100 people signed a petition to object to the closure of the Post Office
which is based inside Cohen’s Chemist on High Street
Post Office bosses have been working alongside Coun Neil Wright in order to find a solution
prompting a local business - Dodworth Discount Store - to submit an application in order to take over its running
The Chronicle understands negotiations are at an advanced stage and although the Post Office will close on July 20
October has already been earmarked for it to reopen in the nearby shop
Coun Neil Wright said: “The news caused massive upset to its customers when it was announced last year but we’re almost there and have identified a building which we feel is suitable
“We had looked at relocating it to the library and even the Co-op
“The Post Office is priceless to the community as people
“We haven’t stopped fighting and we’re doing all we can to secure its long-term future in Dodworth
“The process has now started in terms of an application being submitted from Dodworth Discount Stores to the Post Office in order to continue the service
Plans are also being developed for the shop front’s alteration
“The closing date for the current location is scheduled for July 20 but this date must not be seen as Dodworth losing its Post Office forever - the fact is that for various contractual and legal reasons there has to be a gap between one Post Office shutting and another one opening
is unavoidable but we’re confident the service will resume in the winter.”
A ‘carbon copy’ situation has happened on Market Street
involving Cohen’s Chemist closing its shop which also houses a Post Office
But Post Office bosses told the Chronicle this week that Hoyland’s provision will also be saved by moving to a different location within Hoyland’s centre
A Post Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the postmaster who runs Dodworth Post Office gave us notice and the service is due to close in summer 2019
“The branch is run independently and while we always work hard to maintain Post Office services
from time to time branches do temporarily close
we always look to restore services as quickly as possible
as we know how important Post Offices are to communities.”
TWO ALL-BARNSLEY games took place on Wednesday with implications for the tight County Senior League Premier Division title race
Leaders Dodworth MW won 4-0 at Houghton Main
Several clubs below have games in hand on them
They have three games to play including a trip to title rivals Swinton Athletic on May 10 before completing the campaign at Sheffield Town on May 13
Second-placed Wombwell Main won 2-0 at home to North Gawber
Wombwell Main are five points off Dodworth with a game in hand
Wombwell Main drew 3-3 at Handsworth reserves on Saturday
Dodworth had lost 1-0 at fellow title challengers Hepworth United on Saturday
Houghton had won 1-0 at fellow strugglers South Kirkby at the weekend
Wombwell Town won 1-0 at home to Stocksbridge Park Steels reserves on Saturday
Silkstone United drew 1-1 at Denaby Main in Division One
Silkstone then lost 5-3 Sheffield Union on Wednesday
Athersley Rec reserves drew 2-2 at home to Kiveton Park.