New roof's a glass act at multi-million pound Barnsley development

The glazing of two new glass roofed boulevards has been completed in a major milestone for The Glass Works, a new leisure and shopping development in Barnsley.

The final piece of glass has been installed in the canopies at The Glass Works in Barnsley town centre, marking another step towards completion of the multi-million project.

The Glass Works is one of the only leisure and shopping destinations under construction in the country and will feature a 13 screen Cineworld cinema with large-scale 4DX screen, up to 25 new shops, seven new family restaurants and a Superbowl UK.

Barnsley Council is investing circa £200m into the town centre including the scheme and wider regeneration of the area, helping future proof Barnsley with a mix of new leisure, retail and public realm additions.

Councillor Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place at Barnsley Council, said: "When driving into Barnsley you can already see the skyline has changed so much thanks to this project and it's a mark of how far on The Glass Works now is. It's easy to talk about something, but actually seeing it has a much bigger impact and people can really see how the development is taking shape. It’s exciting for everyone.

"The Glass Works will attract more people more often for years to come into our town centre. And I, like thousands of others across the borough, can’t wait to see it completed and open next September - ready for people to come and watch films, go bowling, eat, drink, shop and rediscover our town centre.”

The centre is 60% let with Deichmann the latest store to open its doors after welcoming shoppers earlier this month. Once completed, the project will also see a new public square with an attractive water feature created alongside a multi-story car park. Several major brands have already signed up including Next, Sports Direct, USC, TK Maxx, local independent restaurant MEET and Nando’s. JD Sports, Coffee Boy and Falco Lounge are already open and trading.

It’s all part of Barnsley Council’s long-term aim to revitalise Barnsley town centre, with phase one already completed which saw the opening of a thriving refurbished market, state-of-the-art Library @ the Lightbox and Market Kitchen along with improved public realm.