A delegation from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Markets visited Barnsley this week to view the town’s recent efforts to revive the High Street by repurposing vacant units to host a mix of health, community and retail services. The visit — which included MPs and representatives of market organisations as well as officers from Barnsley Council — focused on practical partnership working and the use of town-centre space to meet residents’ needs.
Bringing services together in the town centre
Barnsley Council has taken a deliberate approach to combine different public and commercial uses under one roof. Vacant units within the shopping centre and the market hall now accommodate a Community Diagnostic Centre, outpatients and day-surgery facilities, Family Hubs and stop-smoking services alongside longstanding shops and market stalls. The intention is to create an accessible, multifunctional town centre rather than simply filling empty units.
- Community Diagnostic Centre located in the town centre
- Family Hubs and stop-smoking support co-located with retail
- Partnership between council, NHS and market organisations
Early indicators of local impact
Staff and partners point to measurable changes since services moved into the centre. Data presented during the visit indicate a reduction in missed appointments and a notable proportion of patients who spend money locally after attending the diagnostic centre.
| Metric | Reported change |
|---|---|
| Missed appointments | 28% fall |
| Patients spending locally after visit | ≈82% |
Those figures were central to discussions with visiting MPs who were looking for transferable lessons that could be applied in their own constituencies.
"It is not simply about filling vacant units, but about creating accessible town centres that meet residents’ needs,"
The quotation above was made by one of the visiting MPs who summarised the approach being showcased. The MP indicated an intention to explore similar joined-up solutions with local authorities and health partners back in the West Midlands, citing the potential benefits for markets and for town-centre vitality.
What this means for Barnsley
For Barnsley, the visit offered an external validation of the council’s strategy to knit public services into the fabric of the shopping area and market. There are practical implications for planning and partnership work: the model relies on ongoing coordination between the council, NHS providers and market operators, plus a willingness to adapt retail space to public-service needs.
Locally, residents may see continued changes to how and where services are delivered in the town centre. For traders and market stallholders, the arrangement aims to increase footfall and support local spending. For health services, the central location is being presented as a means to improve access and reduce missed appointments.
Visiting MPs praised Barnsley’s model as an example of how combining health, community support and retail can help sustain markets and regenerate town centres. Barnsley’s experience will now be watched by other areas seeking to revive their high streets through similar cross-sector partnerships.
