July 12, 2010
Local school pupils name £90m Thurnscoe regeneration project
Former Housing Minister and current MP for Wentworth and Dearne, John Healey, returned to Thurnscoe to help local school pupils reveal the name of the £90m housing led regeneration programme.
Having visited prior to the general election when the regeneration deal was signed, he was on hands again as the partners driving the initiative unveiled the overall name of the development and the first phase - selected with the help of students from Gooseacre Primary, The Hill Primary and Dearne High Schools.
Rising to the challenge of coming up with appropriate names, the schools presented their ideas in pitches similar to the popular BBC2 entrepreneurial talent show, Dragon’s Den.
Taking ideas from all three schools, the decision reached was for the redeveloped Remma Estate to be known as Seasons, with the first phase taking the name Springside. Street names and further phase names will be developed along the same theme – again with the involvement of local school children.
After helping the youngsters announce the names, Mr Healey said: “This is a fantastic project which is being enhanced through the involvement of local people – particularly young people. This will help create a sense of ownership and belonging which will support social as well as physical regeneration.”
Over the next 15 to 18 years approximately 875 new homes will be developed - with around 193 for rent or shared ownership – on areas formerly known as the Reema estate and Brunswick Street. The first phase will create 160 properties with 55 being social rented homes including bungalows and two, three and four bedroomed family houses.
The partnership behind this ambitious project includes Barnsley Council, Keepmoat Homes, Chevin Housing Group, Berneslai Homes, architects Watson Batty and the SLR environmental consultancy. The scheme is also supported by the Homes and Communities Agency and Transform South Yorkshire.