Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley

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The Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley is a metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England; the main settlement is Barnsley and other notable towns include Wombwell, Worsbrough, Penistone and Hoyland.

The borough is bisected by the M1 motorway; it is rural to the west, and largely urban/industrial to the east. It is estimated that around 16% of the borough is classed as urban overall, with this area being home to the vast majority of its residents. Additionally, 68% of Barnsley's 32,863 hectares is green belt and 9% is national park land, the majority of which is west of the M1. In 2007, it was estimated that Barnsley had 224,600 residents, measured at the 2011 census as 231,221.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The neighbouring districts are Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, High Peak, Kirklees and Wakefield.

History

The borough was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the whole area of 12 former districts and parts of another two, which were all abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

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Barnsley County Borough
Cudworth Urban District
Darfield Urban District
Darton Urban District
Dearne Urban District
Dodworth Urban District
Hemsworth Rural District (part, being the parishes of Billingley, Brierley, Great Houghton, Little Houghton and Shafton)
Hoyland Nether Urban District
Penistone Rural District
Penistone Urban District
Royston Urban District
Wombwell Urban District
Worsbrough Urban District
Wortley Rural District (part, being the parishes of Tankersley and Wortley)

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The county borough of Barnsley had been self-governing, whereas the other 13 districts were all lower-tier authorities where county-level services were provided by West Riding County Council.

From its creation in 1974 until 1986, the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley was a district-level authority, with county-level services provided by South Yorkshire County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986, since when Barnsley has been responsible for all local government services.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

The borough forms part of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

Much of the modern Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley made up the historic Wapentake of Staincross, areas such as Denby Dale, Clayton West, South Hiendley, Hemsworth, Woolley, Notton, Old Royston, West Bretton, Scissett, Ryhill, Havercroft etc., were part of the Wapentake area but now fall outside the Borough within neighbouring West Yorkshire. Other villages and suburbs outside the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough but with strong historical connections to the Barnsley area are Brampton Bierlow, Wentworth and areas of the Dearne Valley.

Governance

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Elections to the council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the 63 councillors being elected at each election. The council has been controlled by the Labour Party since its creation in 1974.

The borough council appoints one councillor to be the mayor every year. On the day of the mayor's appointment, a parade takes place in front of the town hall in honour of the new mayor.

Since the 2023 Boundary review and the 2024 General election, Barnsley borough is represented by three MPs: Dan Jarvis for Barnsley North (Labour), Marie Tidball for Penistone & Stocksbridge (Labour), and Stephanie Peacock for Barnsley South (Labour).

Towns, wards and villages

Ardsley, Athersley
Barnsley, Barugh, Barugh Green, Billingley, Birdwell, Blacker Hill, Bolton upon Dearne, Brierley
Cortonwood, Carlecotes, Carlton, Cawthorne, Crow Edge, Cubley, Cudworth, Crane Moor
Darfield, Darton, Dodworth, Dunford Bridge
Elsecar
Gawber, Gilroyd, Goldthorpe, Great Houghton, Green Moor, Grimethorpe, Gunthwaite
Haigh, Hemingfield, High Hoyland, Higham, Honeywell, Hood Green, Hoyland, Hoyland Common, Hoylandswaine, Hunshelf
Ingbirchworth
Jump
Kendray, Kexbrough, Kingstone
Langsett, Little Houghton, Lundwood
Mapplewell, Millhouses, Millhouse Green, Monk Bretton
New Lodge
Old Town, Oxspring
Platts Common, Penistone, Pilley, Pogmoor
Royston, Redbrook
Shafton, Silkstone, Silkstone Common, Smithies, Stainborough, Staincross, Stairfoot
Tankersley, Thurgoland, Thurlstone, Thurnscoe
Ward Green, Wilthorpe, Woolley Colliery, Wombwell, Wortley, Worsbrough Bridge, Worsbrough Dale, Worsbro Common

There are several settlements with Hoyland in their name in the Barnsley Area – in the south of the Borough there is the market town of Hoyland in the Hoyland Nether district (Nether being Old Norse for "Lower"), Hoyland Nether also includes Hoyland Common, Upper Hoyland, et cetera. Hoylandswaine is located on the opposite side of the wide valley, to the west of Barnsley and at almost 1000 feet above sea level. Also further North is High Hoyland The word Hoyland is derived from Norse, and at its simplest means "farm on a hill". Despite there being countless farms on hills around Britain, the majority of the Hoylands are concentrated in Barnsley, there is an Høyland in Norway also.

Education

Template:See also There are over 100 schools and colleges in the borough. State education is managed by Barnsley Local Education Authority. There are 14 state-run secondary schools and around 80 primary schools. There was an independent school, Hope House School. Post-16 education is provided at Barnsley College and the sixth form of Penistone Grammar School. An adult education college, Northern College, is located at Wentworth Castle in Stainborough. The University of Huddersfield has a campus in Barnsley town centre.

Media

In terms of television, the area is served by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire broadcasting from the Emley Moor transmitter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Radio stations for the area are: <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

BBC Local Radio