TECHNOLOGY is allowing every stage of the redevelopment of Barnsley town centre to be recorded in detail for all time with the latest series of aerial photographs and video captured yesterday.
A Barnsley digital video production company has produced about 30 videos so far captured from a drone flying high above town to capture the changing face of the town centre.
It isn’t publicly funded Geoff Fox, who runs Deadline Digital based at the Digital Media Centre, is doing it for his own intrigue and for the long-term benefit of the people of Barnsley.
“It’s been a project of passion for me,” Geoff told the Chronicle after his latest flight over town yesterday morning.
“We’ve been doing this for the last couple of years now, since before the old Central Offices came down and we’ve tried to capture every stage.
“There’s always a huge amount of interest in old photographs of Barnsley from the 60s, 70s, even as recently as the 90s.
“The advent of things like YouTube have only increased people’s interest in old archive footage, and people love to look back at the Barnsley of old. I think that interest is only going to grow as time goes on and technology develops.
“I think people will want to look back on this in the decades to come and see what Barnsley was like and how it’s changed.”
The first stage of works to create the new Glass Works development is nearing competition, with traders due to move into the new meat and fish market next week.
Extensive works to improve the street scene around it is well advanced.
Work is also well underway on the new central library.
The next stage will be to construct a bowling alley and multiplex cinema on the site of the temporary markets once the traders have moved back into the the Glass Works complex.
“I’m Barnsley born and bred, I’ve got my own video production company, so why wouldn’t I want to do this?” said Geoff.
“I’m not being paid for it but I have to thank Barnsley Council and Henry Boot for continually allowing me to do this, and helping make sure it can be done safely.
“It has been fascinating to watch the changes, and to see that brutalist architecture of the 60s and 70s disappear,” said Geoff.
“It’s being replaced by new buildings, and new cladding and extension to the frames of some of the old buildings.
“I think it’s a really exciting time for Barnsley. I know people worry about the disruption and everything else, but I think in the long term this is going to be very positive for Barnsley.”
All of Geoff’s videos taken so far are freely available for the public to see via the company’s website.
Find a link to the videos here.
