£2.5m funding sought for 'Yorkshire Rose' art
A total of £2.5m is expected to be approved by Barnsley Council for three new "Yorkshire Rose" sculptures up to 50ft (15m) high in the town centre.
A report to be considered by the council's cabinet seeks approval for funding to design and install the sculptures, which it said would serve as a visual gateway to the Seam Digital Campus.
The artworks would serve as a centrepiece of the site's regeneration, which would include an urban park and gardens, part of a wider ambition to attract businesses and visitors to the town, the report stated.
They would feature integrated lighting and audio elements, it added.
The council has already allocated £874,000 from its existing capital programme for broader development at the campus site.
The additional £2.5m requested would specifically cover the design, fabrication, installation, and necessary upgrades for the sculptures, the report stated.
Alongside the proposed sculptures, the report also highlighted a contingency budget of £1m to cover any unforeseen costs or challenges that might arise during the installation phase.
The first phase of the redevelopment of the site, funded through Future High Streets funding and council contributions, includes a newly designed urban park, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The one acre (4,700 sq m) park is expected to feature three separate gardens - a biodiversity garden, a digital garden, and a town centre link - aimed at improving the area's public realm while supporting Barnsley's growing digital sector.
Original plans for the site had included a multi-storey car park, hotel and large residential development, but those proposals were stripped back due to rising costs.
However, the report laid out the hope that additions to the Seam would result in rising visitor numbers, leading to the development of a premium hotel in the town centre.
The total cost for the Seam Digital Campus Phase 1 is now expected to be about £12m.
Of this, £7.5m is anticipated to come from external sources, including government grants, private investments, and other funding bodies.
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
Council unveils plans for 'striking new landmark'
Town centre sees decade's highest visitor numbers
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