The Seam Digital Campus, Barnsley

Opening up the heart of Barnsley

In March 2026 Willmott Dixon completed phase one of The Seam Digital Campus in Barnsley – a striking new urban park and public realm scheme that has opened up the centre of the town and given it a landmark of national profile. The project was procured through SCAPE and funded through a combination of Future High Streets Funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Barnsley Council investment.

The Seam sits at the centre of Barnsley’s ambition to become the UK’s leading digital town. Barnsley is the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town, situated within the UK’s first Investment Zone, and phase one creates the front door to that ambition: a high-quality public space where the town’s digital, cultural and community life comes together. It was opened on 23 March 2026 with an evening celebration featuring the Barnsley Youth Choir, Barnsley-based collective LIMIT ZERO and a light and sound display from the Yorkshire Roses by Artin Light.

What we delivered

The scheme transformed the Lower Seam – previously a tired surface car park – into 4,700m² of park, plaza and gardens, framed by three landmark sculptures:

• A 4,700m² urban park bringing high-quality green space into the centre of the town.
• Three landmark Yorkshire Rose sculptures – the 15m central ‘Mater’ (Mother) Rose, flanked by the 12m ‘Pruna’ (Glowing Coal) and ‘Vitrum’ (Glass) Roses, honouring the borough’s industrial heritage.
• Three distinct landscaped gardens – a biodiversity garden, a digital garden and a town centre link – bringing together digital innovation, culture and nature.
• A central plaza designed as a performance and events space for the town’s cultural programme.
• A fully refurbished Lower Seam car park, returning 286 spaces to use with EV charging, additional trees, improved lighting, upgraded CCTV and well-lit pedestrian walkways.

Sculpture as landmark – and as technology

The centrepiece of the development is the trio of Yorkshire Rose sculptures, designed by artist Tim Ward of Circling The Square and fabricated by Stage One. Standing above the park and visible across the town centre, they are more than public art: each incorporates digital lighting and sound technology that Barnsley Council will use for future events and creative programming, from Bright Nights and Christmas to the borough’s bid to be UK Town of Culture 2028. Installing structures of this scale and precision within a live town centre demanded careful sequencing, temporary works design and close coordination between our team, the fabricator and the council.

Safer, greener, better connected

Barnsley Council set out from the start to prioritise biodiversity and whole-life cost, and the scheme achieves a 45% biodiversity net gain – well beyond the statutory 10% requirement – through the new gardens, tree planting and naturalistic landscaping. Alongside the environmental gains, the redesigned public realm addresses how the space feels to use: better lighting, upgraded CCTV, clear sightlines and well-lit walkways make the route through the town centre safer and more welcoming, day and night.

Regeneration and high street renewal expertise

The Seam adds to a growing portfolio of town centre and public realm regeneration that is reshaping communities across the country. In Yorkshire we are delivering Event Central in Sheffield, a £14.4m transformation of a former Fargate retail building into a music venue and collaborative workspace. Nationally, recent and current schemes include The Stage in Luton, a £136m mixed-use regeneration with 292 apartments and new public realm; Station Gardens in Rochdale, delivering 81 net zero homes on a key brownfield gateway; the Catterick town centre redevelopment in North Yorkshire; and the 450,000 sq ft Spindles Town Square transformation in Oldham. We have also been selected as construction partner in a transformational regeneration consortium in Darlington.

Phase one is the first stage of Barnsley Council’s wider ambitions for The Seam. Plans for phase two include a high-quality hotel, a National Centre for Digital Technologies and a third Digital Media Centre, creating a hub for technology and digital businesses.

What people are saying

“The completion of The Seam is a proud moment for everyone involved. Seeing the Yorkshire Roses now standing at the heart of the development is a real celebration of the vision behind this project and the town of Barnsley. It’s been a privilege to help bring this landmark scheme to life and play a part in shaping a new chapter for the town.”

Chris Yates, Yorkshire Director, Willmott Dixon

“It’s fantastic to open phase one of The Seam Digital Campus, a project which has been years in the making in the UK’s first Investment Zone. The Yorkshire Rose sculptures are an incredible addition to our town centre and will be a proud symbol of our new status as the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town, as well as driving forward the ambition from our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy of being the UK’s leading digital town.”

Councillor Sir Stephen Houghton CBE, Leader, Barnsley Council

“We are delighted to see the completion of the Seam Digital Campus, marking our first project with Barnsley Council. Delivered in collaboration with Willmott Dixon and accelerated through the SCAPE Construction Framework, the project reflects SCAPE’s commitment to delivering meaningful social value.”

Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive, SCAPE