Mayor Dan Jarvis responds as South Yorkshire misses out in Budget announcementÂ

Mr Jarvis, Sheffield City Region mayor and MP for Barnsley Central, penned a letter to Chancellor Phillip Hammond asking for help in the £240 million renewal of Supertram and a commitment for a railway line to Doncaster Sheffield Airport linking the East Coast Mainline.  

The mayor also asked for the £30 million promised in 2017 for improvements on the Hope Valley Line between Sheffield and Manchester which includes a loop so passenger trains can overtake slow moving freight wagons. 

But in a detailed Autumn Budget, South Yorkshire received no special mention for any infrastructure projects or cash injections. 

Mr Jarvis called the announcement a '˜missed opportunity'.

Speaking in the House of Commons today, Mr Jarvis said the region was 'resurgent' and highlighted the growth of advanced manufacturing. 

But the mayor said the region's progress was being made with its '˜hands tied behind its back'. 

'Along with many others, I'm working to grow our economy and connect our talented people to opportunity and with Brexit on the near horizon in the Sheffield City Region, this work is taking shape and we are making progress,' he said.     

'Too many of our communities do not believe their best that their best days are in front of them where too many believe they are being failed by cuts to their vital public services and feel they are ignored because of where and who they are. That is a tragedy. 

'What is emerging, is a story in South Yorkshire that shows that ours is a region that is resurgent. Now, for a first time in a generation, we are witnessing a growth in advanced manufacturing and highly skilled engineering. 

'But, we're doing it with our hands tied behind our back.

'We are served by an outdated and antiquated transport network of trains, buses and trams.

'Actions speak louder than words and I'm afraid with this budget is yet another missed opportunity.'