Mayor's office has 'won the case' to level up in South Yorkshire top official claims

Dave Smith, chief executive at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, said the inclusion of Sheffield as one of two pilot areas showed ministers had ‘listened to our call’ to work with ‘the mayor, local authorities and partners’ to unlock opportunity and prosperity.

HOW WILL LEVELLING UP BENEFIT SOUTH YORKSHIRE?

Earlier this month, levelling up secretary Michael Gove published a White Paper with a string of ambitions and £13m of new money for Sheffield to transform derelict land for housing.

But he is not expected at an economic summit in the city on March 9.

Mr Gove has already visited Manchester to talk to mayor Andy Burnham. And he has reportedly confirmed he will meet West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin before the end of March and Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram by the end of April.

Mr Smith, in a Linkedin post, said they had been trying to persuade government to help South Yorkshire for two years.

In October 2020, the mayor asked for £1.7bn from government to avoid the ‘real threat of mass insolvency of businesses on a scale not seen since the Great Depression’. When that was unsuccessful the combined authority asked the Treasury to pay devolution monies in a lump sum up front, instead of £30m-a-year for 30 years.

HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT BEEN PERSUADED?

Mr Smith added: “So persuaded are the government in our approach that they have identified Sheffield as one of only two early pilots in England.

“The Government has also listened to our call that this cannot be delivered from Whitehall: they should work with the Mayor, our local authorities and partners in the region who can deliver.

“A strong plan is already in place and some is already being delivered from the framework set in our strategic economic plan and our transport strategy.

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“We have already taken action and invested in our public transport, active travel, business growth, skills programmes and in our infrastructure.‘The White Paper makes a long overdue acknowledgement that fundamental change in how government thinks and works are needed to unlock growth in places like South Yorkshire.

“There are many tests to be faced in matching vision with investment, and sustaining commitment over the medium and long term.”

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