Issues and SWOT

strength

Build activity around Goldthorpe’s existing square

Horse and Groom Square offers a shared public meeting and events space.

Proposed response: Publish a simple community-use programme.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £696 a month (August 2026) in Barnsley council area. This is £763 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.1% in Athersley & New Lodge to 35.8% in Central — a gap of 25.7 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

weakness

The housing renewal still needs completed homes

The latest reviewed scheme had a contractor appointment, not occupied homes.

Proposed response: Publish the build timetable and allocation route.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

7.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Barnsley council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.8% in Penistone East to 10.2% in Dearne North — a gap of 5.4 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

opportunity

Make improved club facilities useful more widely

The Wombwell investment renews a community sports facility.

Proposed response: Explain who can use or hire the space.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

19.5% of people in Barnsley council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 15.4% in Wombwell to 27.6% in Penistone East — a gap of 12.2 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Connect local skills to local opportunities

23.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Barnsley council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 15.3% in Penistone East to 32.6% in Dearne North — a gap of 17.3 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Barnsley council area.

Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 12% in Penistone East to 32% in Athersley & New Lodge — a gap of 20 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

Protect smaller local investments after the works finish

Squares and community buildings need upkeep as well as an initial grant. This is a forward responsibility.

Proposed response: Assign repair and operating responsibilities.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2