5th May 2004
SOUTH YORKSHIRE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES THE FOCUS OF MAJOR REGENERATION CONFERENCE


Barnsley will be taking part in a two-day conference, showcasing best practice in regeneration and investment opportunities, in South Yorkshire. Hosted by the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA), the event will bring together regeneration and development experts from across the region, together with keynote speaker the Rt Hon Richard Caborn MP, Minister for Sport and Tourism.

The 13th-14th May event, which is sponsored by Asda, will see delegates from across the country gather at the Doncaster Moat House Hotel to network and exchange ideas.

A key focus of the conference will be the chance for delegates to choose from five study tours focusing on key regeneration activity taking place in the major centres of South Yorkshire - Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster. Each of the local authority bodies for these centres is a co-sponsor of the event along with Manor & Castle Development Trust and Renaissance South Yorkshire.

Barnsley study tour will include a virtual tour showing the planned new Barnsley in detail. This will include the major new retail and markets quarter, the new interchange, the new commercial quarter, arts and cultural venues and the new public realm including the halo. David Kennedy, Executive Director for Development for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council will host the visit and delegates will have the opportunity to meet architects and developers, as well as others behind the renaissance of Barnsley.

The programme will focus on what has been achieved in the regeneration of South Yorkshire to date and illustrate the range of future opportunities in the area. It will provide a unique forum for potential investors and developers, as well as local authorities and government bodies.

In addition to the hard work and fact-finding, local poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan will be on hand to provide dinner entertainment on the evening of the 13th.

Those interested in attending the conference should contact BURA on 0800 0181 260.

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Editor’s Notes:

BURA, the British Urban Regeneration Association, was formed in 1990 to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, experience and information for the emerging regeneration sector, and has become the leading independent organisation for those involved in regeneration. It offers its members national and regional networks, dynamic and diverse events, seminars and conferences and specialist forums covering key issues of the regeneration agenda.

For further editorial information on BURA please contact Gerald Cary-Elwes on 020 7539 4030.

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Asda believes that its customers are looking primarily for freshness, good value, convenience and fantastic customer service and so this provides the focus for what it does. Asda offers Britain's best value weekly shop and our colleagues have a well-deserved reputation for being the friendliest in the country.

It is constantly striving for innovative approaches in its development activity and welcomes working in partnership with local authorities and developers to create the best facilities for local communities. Its excellent track record in regeneration, combined with its flexibility, allows it to transform the most difficult sites and act as a catalyst for change.

For further information contact Naomi Duggan at ASDA House on 0113 241 4107.

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Renaissance South Yorkshire is the new regeneration company conceived by Yorkshire Forward - the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and Humber - and the local authorities of Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield, in a groundbreaking partnership to transform the economic prospects of South Yorkshire by delivering significant and strategic development projects and investment in the region.

Part funded by the European Union's Objective 1 Programme, Renaissance South Yorkshire will provide the key focus for the delivery of development programmes that will ensure the South Yorkshire region maximises all available funding opportunities and capitalises on its existing talent and strengths.

For further information about South Yorkshire as an investment location visit www.surprising-sy.com. For further editorial information on Renaissance South Yorkshire, please contact Graeme Buck / Paul Stelmaszczyk / Ros Atterwill on 020 7636 7366.

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Barnsley MBC: Barnsley's most striking feature is undoubtedly the strong contrast between rural and Penine Countryside and urban industrial areas.

Back in 2002 a new vision for the future of Barnsley was announced unveiling bold plans for transforming the town centre. A transformation in expectations and aspirations for Barnsley and its people is at the heart of the Remaking Barnsley project, moving the Borough on from its coal mining heritage by building on one of its most important economic and social strengths, its history as a Market Town. Barnsley has been included in the Renaissance Towns initiative, a pilot project to develop world class urban centres, attracting businesses, people and jobs.

For further information telephone 01226 770770 or visit www.barnsley.gov.uk.

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Doncaster's Economic Development Team is responsible for working closely with 3D, a public / private sector partnership, in managing and delivering a programme of transformational projects with the Borough; as well as having responsibility for the development and co-ordination of the Town Centre, Markets and Tourism activities, and for increasing the levels of inward and indigenous investment within Doncaster. Through strategic management of major projects and initiatives, the team contributes directly towards increasing job opportunities, providing enhanced leisure, retail and residential facilities, and improving the quality of life for local residents.

For further information call 01302 736975 or visit www.doncaster.gov.uk.

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Rotherham Investment and Development Office: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is making Rotherham an prosperous, inclusive and attractive borough, where people choose to live, learn and work. Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RIDO) is the regeneration arm of the Council's Economic and Development Services and provides to companies and individuals looking to relocate, expand or start up their operations in Rotherham, as well as offering support for many other projects and business needs.

For further information contact 01709 372099, www.rido.org.uk, www.dearnevalley.org, www.buy-local.co.uk.

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Sheffield First for Investment is the inward investment agency for the City of Sheffield.

The agency's key objective is to maximise investment into the city from both inward investors and existing businesses. It does this through the promotion of the benefits of the city as a business location and by making the establishment and subsequent expansion as easy and cost-effective as possible. The dedicated team offers advice and support on the extensive range of financial assistance available for inward investors, availability of commercial and industrial property and development sites, and the recruitment and training of staff.

For further editorial information contact Diva Creative Ltd, tel 0114 221 0378. Call Sheffield First for Investment on 0114 223 2345, www.makeitinsheffield.com

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The Manor and Castle Development Trust (MCDT) was formed in 1997 and is now one of the country's largest community-run regeneration agencies. The Trust has played a crucial part in attracting SRB funds that have been matched by a whole series of area-based and themed central government initiatives.

MCDT is a not-for-profit partnership, a company limited by guarantee, with a management board comprising an equal number of representatives from public, private and community sectors. The Trust, which has accountable body status, has played a lead role in the development of the South Sheffield Partnership which aims, by working strategically across south Sheffield, to bring up to £180 million into the area over the next 10 years.

For further information please visit www.manorandcastle.org.uk or telephone 0114 278 9999.



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www.barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk

Press Contact: Sarah Hopwood
Marketing & Communications Assistant
Barnsley Development Agency
Telephone: 01226 640 086
Facsimile: 01226 286 606
Email: shopwood@barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk





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