Spend government cash wisely...

Despite what Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis stated, that levelling up cash is ‘nothing more than a drop in the ocean’…

Well personally I believe it will become a ‘drop in the ocean’ dependent on how well it is used and, to be perfectly honest, any new money is always good money – it always will be.

Sir Steve Houghton states ‘there are no concrete plans as to where it will be spent’.

I have a few ideas to share.

From my understanding, the £20m over ten years was for local communities to improve, this means beyond the town hall steps and the Glass Works – this is what must happen.

The issues I feel need addressing are the serious problems we have with fly-tipping and all too common ASB/ graffiti and other less savoury activities that are rampant on the outskirts of the town in our alleyways in the residential areas.

Mr Houghton, it’s all well and good boosting visitor numbers to the town but if these visitors are not spending money during the visit, what really is the point?

After new visitors have experienced the sights and sounds of the outskirts of our town, will they really want to return?

Going back to what we might wish to do with this money, why not invest in our forgotten gateway to the town directly adjacent to the Glass Works, namely Sheffield Road, Doncaster Road, Alhambra roundabout, Upper New Street, Wellington Street, Cheapside and Burleigh Street.

Do the council and elected councillors honestly believe visitors will feel like returning if they enter the town from these important gateways and parking locations?

Perhaps it might enlighten the darkness if (some) of our elected councillors took a walk after dark in these areas to understand what is wrong.

I honestly believe some of them (not all) are oblivious to the issues that exist.

Will people really want to return to our town when they see the sheer volume of fly-tipping that occurs within half a mile of the town hall and the Glass Works retail area in the Kingstone and Central wards? I don’t think so.

Perhaps if we really want to capture the spirit and imagination and use this money wisely, the £20m should be directed to the problems we know about in the areas I mention.