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NORTH BAGS DIGITAL BIZ CENTRE

Great news for digital and creative businesses in the North. A £10 million state-of-the art centre to support companies in the creative and digital industries is to be built in Barnsley after major funding secured from Yorkshire Forward and the European Union...

Good news for digital and creative businesses in the North. A new £10 million state-of-the art centre to support companies in the creative and digital industries is to be built in Barnsley after securing major funding from Yorkshire Forward and the European Union.

Yorkshire Forward is to invest more than £6million in the Barnsley Digital Media Centre - which will have more than 70 business units, conference and meeting facilities, a technology showcase area and an internet café - with almost £4million being provided by the European Regional Development Fund.

Tailored facilities and focused support

As well as offering tailored facilities for creative and digital companies, the centre will also provide mentoring and business support to new enterprises.

Almost 90 businesses and 200 new jobs are predicted as a direct result of the centre, which is to be built on part of the town's courthouse car park.

Across Yorkshire and Humber, the digital industries "cluster" of companies employ more than 110,000 people. In South Yorkshire, there are more than 2,700 companies employing more than 21,000 people.

Jim Farmery, Head of Technology Infrastructure at Yorkshire Forward, said: "The Barnsley Digital Media Centre will be a space where digital companies want to be. It will be a vibrant community for companies to grow, develop new ideas, to collaborate and innovate.

Digital cluster key to regional success

"The Digital cluster is an area forecasted for strong growth and this investment is a key part of our strategy to boost this sector across South Yorkshire."

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, which owns the land, will be responsible for building the centre. Renaissance South Yorkshire, the sub-region's regeneration company, will manage the delivery of the project, which will provide almost 4,000 sq metres of space.

The Council is in the process of appointing the design team, including an architectural practice, to assist in the development of an iconic, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient building. Flexible business space, ultra-fast broadband internet connections and a series of networking events to help companies share ideas will form part of the project.

Cllr Bill Newman, Cabinet spokesperson for Development at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, said: "This is an excellent piece of news for the town. It will enhance Barnsley's growing reputation as a centre for creativity and digital enterprise. It is yet another indicator that the Remaking Barnsley programme is being successful in attracting outside interest and funding."

Building work is expected to start on the centre in September and the first companies are expected to be moving in by September 2006.

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About Yorksire Forward:

Over the past year, Yorkshire Forward has achieved its best ever performance, creating or safeguarding more than 16,000 new jobs; creating and attracting more than 700 new businesses, providing more than 47,000 learning opportunities and reclaiming more than 140 hectares of brownfield land - achieving or exceeding all of the targets it was set. Yorkshire Forward's investment across the region is maximised by attracting European Regional Development Funding from the Objective 1 and 2 programmes. For further information, please contact Barry White, Senior Press Officer, Yorkshire Forward, Tel 0113 394 9923; e-mail barry.white@yorkshire-forward.com or visit www.yorkshire-forward.com