Barnsley and Doncaster councils agree to hold devolution deal vote

Next month the people of Barnsley and Doncaster will be able to vote on which devolution proposal they would prefer each town to pursue.

A community poll will be held in December to ask every voter in the South Yorkshire towns whether they support a One Yorkshire deal or the government-backed Sheffield City Region devolution deal.

Back in 2015, the then-chancellor George Osborne struck a £900m devolution deal with the Sheffield City Region.

This deal would have seen the elected mayor have access to an envelope of £30m a year for 30 years, enabling Sheffield to use new funding to boost local growth and invest in local manufacturing and innovation.

This deal was postponed, however, when the leaders of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils could not reach an agreement on how to move devolution forward in South Yorkshire.

During council meetings held earlier today (Thursday), Barnsley and Doncaster councils both unanimously backed the plan to hold a community poll.

Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: “Barnsley has ambitions to grow its economy, and I believe that a wider Yorkshire deal is the better solution for Barnsley.

“At least 15 Yorkshire councils have said they would support a wider Yorkshire deal, including Barnsley and Doncaster councils. This is a decision that affects our future, and the future of our children. It will bring us benefits for the next 30 years.”

Councillor Glyn Jones, Doncaster Deputy Mayor, commented: “The purpose of this poll is to get a clear view from local people. We want to know if Doncaster people would prefer a devolution deal with a wider Yorkshire agreement or the Sheffield City region.

“Now is the time for people to have their voice heard and help shape Doncaster’s future devolution path. This is a big question and we want to hear as many voices a possible.”

The poll results are not legally binding, but the councils have said they will respect the outcome.

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