Disruption blamed for fall in town visitors
TRADERS SAW 235,000 fewer visitors in Barnsley town centre in the three months covering the Christmas period, according to new figures.
Council officials have blamed national trends for the fall as well as the widespread disruption caused by redevelopment work.
The old Metropolitan shopping centre is out of use while workers transform it to the new Glass Works centre and a site has been cleared for the new library building, which is beginning to emerge from its foundations.
Footfall figures, based on numbers actually in the town centre, rather than customers, were down 235,000 on the previous three months.
Councillors have been told that trend is a repeat of the previous year. A report states: “This is likely to be linked to national customer spending levels, poor weather and the impact of the town-centre redevelopment on customer retention.
“Nationally, the Christmas period was challenging for towncentre retailers due to customers continuing to choose to shop online.”
Bad weather meant the Christmas lights switch-on had to be cancelled, having a “significant impact” on other council promotions and resulting visitor numbers.
Earlier in the year, council officials reported that visitor numbers had been holding up, despite the disruption.
The first traders are due to take up units in the new Glass Works from September.