Yorkshire devolution 'could follow South Yorkshire deal in 2020'

The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority will meet next Monday to consider the future of its troubled devolution deal after a summer which has seen Chesterfield and Bassetlaw withdraw and Barnsley and Doncaster indicate they want to explore an alternative deal with the rest of the region.

Council leaders will be asked to press ahead with the scheduled election of a new metro-mayor for South Yorkshire in May 2018, a key condition of the deal struck with then Chancellor George Osborne two years ago which promises new powers for the area and an extra £30m a year in funding.

But in an attempt to secure Barnsley and Doncaster's continued support for the Sheffield City Region deal, leaders will also be offered an option which includes the promise of a review in 2020,

A paper to be considered by the authority says: "In particular, this would be focused on moving to a Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority model, should a deal have emerged during this period."

The Government could also be asked to agree to an 'interim mayor' being appointed to unlock the money promised in the current deal with an election to follow in 2020 for either the Sheffield City Region or the whole of Yorkshire if a region-wide deal has been agreed by that point.

Other options to be tabled include simply postponing the SCR election until 2020 while talks are progressed on the potential for a Yorkshire-wide devolution deal and the complete dissolution of the combined authority.

The Yorkshire Post understands Barnsley and Doncaster will reiterate next week their commitment to pursuing the One Yorkshire approach which has secured the backing of 17 of the region's authorities in recent weeks and their reluctance to press ahead with the SCR deal.

Areas including Greater Manchester, Tees Valley and the West Midlands elected new metro-mayors in May to oversee powers and money transferred to them as part of 'devolution deals' with the Government to take more control over their own affairs.

But Yorkshire has struggled to strike similar agreements amid political disagreement over how the region should be divided up, or whether a single deal can be struck for the whole of Yorkshire.

In a significant breakthrough over the summer, 17 Yorkshire authorities agreed in principle to the idea of a single Yorkshire deal with one region-wide elected mayor.

But Rotherham and Sheffield remain committed to the existing Sheffield City Region deal and Wakefield has yet to commit.

Ministers initially rejected the case for a Yorkshire deal, insisting the Sheffield City Region agreement should go ahead.

But last week Chancellor Philip Hammond struck a more conciliatory tone, saying the Government was "flexible" over the way the devolution question is settled.