Your View: Sheffield City Region

How disgraceful that the Sheffield City Region in all probability now won't get the extra powers '“ transport etc. from Whitehall and the £900 million funding '“ all because of petty political squabbles between Doncaster, Barnsley and Derbyshire County Council, who want to remain sheltered in their ancient county boundaries.
Cllr Peter Box outside the new Archives building on Kirkgate, WakefieldCllr Peter Box outside the new Archives building on Kirkgate, Wakefield
Cllr Peter Box outside the new Archives building on Kirkgate, Wakefield

Compare Sheffield, which spills over into the North Midlands, to Manchester which has formed its own centre of gravity, ignoring Cheshire, Staffordshire, etc.

I recall in the dim and distant past – perhaps 1960s/70s when there was talk of the “44 group” of local authorities based in Sheffield – when, as now, there was pressure for city-based cross-county economical areas.

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It didn’t happen then, although Sheffield Newspapers were 100 per cent pushing for the city, although London owned.

Now you are directed from Leeds and doing nowt.

Imagine the storm then had Sheffield been pushed into a greater Leeds sphere of influence.

Coun Peter Box, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, seems to be leading the charge to “box” us into a Yorkshire county deal.