Agenda item

Notice Of Motion Regarding "Devolution Deal" - Given By Councillor Mazher Iqbal And To Be Seconded By Councillor Jack Scott

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that the South Yorkshire devolution deal, agreed with government in 2015 and supported by this Council in 2016, remains unimplemented, with the result that the city region does not have access to the agreed £30m/year gain-share funds, and that the powers agreed as part of the deal have not been devolved to the Mayor and Combined Authority;

 

(b)       further notes that, as a result of not having an implemented mayoral powers order, the Combined Authority has not been able to access other government funding streams, such as the top-sliced element of the Transforming Cities Fund that has been made available to other Mayoral Combined Authorities, and notes recent reports that not implementing the deal is costing the region up to £75 million in investment;

 

(c)        supports the Mayor’s manifesto commitment that “any new mayoralty should begin with the implementation of the 2015 agreement”;

 

(d)       believes that, following recent comments by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, that “there is already a deal that is on the table in Sheffield in terms of seeing that Sheffield City Region with its Mayor being able to get on and deliver for that community and to unlock the funding for that part of South Yorkshire. Therefore, I think that’s where our focus needs to be, obviously I will continue to look at devolution arrangements for Yorkshire but the priority needs to be getting the Sheffield City Region up and running delivering for that community and with it getting behind that deal, making it happen so we can then look at what other devolution arrangements maybe appropriate for Yorkshire”, it is clearer than ever that the South Yorkshire Deal is the only deal on the table and there should be no further delay to implementing the deal; and

 

(e)       calls upon the Sheffield City Region Mayor to bring forward all necessary measures to implement the South Yorkshire Deal and believes that this should be done by the end of January at the latest.

 

 

Minutes:

7.1

It was moved by Councillor Mazher Iqbal, and seconded by Councillor Jack Scott, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       notes that the South Yorkshire devolution deal, agreed with government in 2015 and supported by this Council in 2016, remains unimplemented, with the result that the city region does not have access to the agreed £30m/year gain-share funds, and that the powers agreed as part of the deal have not been devolved to the Mayor and Combined Authority;

 

(b)       further notes that, as a result of not having an implemented mayoral powers order, the Combined Authority has not been able to access other government funding streams, such as the top-sliced element of the Transforming Cities Fund that has been made available to other Mayoral Combined Authorities, and notes recent reports that not implementing the deal is costing the region up to £75 million in investment;

 

(c)        supports the Mayor’s manifesto commitment that “any new mayoralty should begin with the implementation of the 2015 agreement”;

 

(d)       believes that, following recent comments by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, that “there is already a deal that is on the table in Sheffield in terms of seeing that Sheffield City Region with its Mayor being able to get on and deliver for that community and to unlock the funding for that part of South Yorkshire. Therefore, I think that’s where our focus needs to be, obviously I will continue to look at devolution arrangements for Yorkshire but the priority needs to be getting the Sheffield City Region up and running delivering for that community and with it getting behind that deal, making it happen so we can then look at what other devolution arrangements maybe appropriate for Yorkshire”, it is clearer than ever that the South Yorkshire Deal is the only deal on the table and there should be no further delay to implementing the deal; and

 

(e)       calls upon the Sheffield City Region Mayor to bring forward all necessary measures to implement the South Yorkshire Deal and believes that this should be done by the end of January at the latest.

 

 

7.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Paul Scriven, and seconded by Councillor Penny Baker, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (e) and the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (g) as follows:-

 

 

 

(e)       (i) demands that the three Council Leaders in South Yorkshire, the elected Mayor of Doncaster and the Sheffield City Region Mayor now sort out this impasse, as it is they that are creating the uncertainty for local business and it is these five people who hold the solution to bringing about the Sheffield City Region deal, and to bring forward all necessary measures to implement the South Yorkshire deal, and believes that, if they cannot do that in the next six months, they will have to admit they have let down the local area on devolution in South Yorkshire and (ii) believes that this should be done by appointing an independent facilitator who can broker a deal amongst these 5 people;

 

(f)        expects Sheffield City Council to be involved as a full and active member of programmes and trade delegations that the Sheffield City Region Mayor runs; and

 

(g)       demands that, if after six months, the three Council Leaders, the elected Mayor of Doncaster and the Sheffield City Region Mayor are still letting the local area down by not being able to implement the South Yorkshire Devolution Deal, they should return to Government, admit that they cannot break the deadlock and seek a timescale that the Government will keep open the South Yorkshire Deal.

 

 

7.3

It was then moved by Councillor Robert Murphy, and formally seconded by Councillor Martin Phipps, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraphs (c) to (e) and the addition of new paragraphs (c) and (d) as follows:-

 

 

 

(c)        notes that this Council has contributed funding to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, which has spent millions of pounds on what this Council now regards as a rushed, divisive, and unsuccessful Devolution Deal, Combined Authority and Mayoral Election and office, and received little in return in terms of powers or funding; and

 

(d)       believes this Administration should stop supporting this Government’s agenda on devolution and join with the vast majority of Yorkshire Councils working towards a Yorkshire-wide devolution that should rival the devolution granted to London, Scotland and Wales.

 

 

7.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Paul Scriven was put to the vote and was negatived.

 

 

7.4.1

(NOTE: Councillors Kaltum Rivers, Douglas Johnson, Robert Murphy, Martin Phipps and Alison Teal voted for paragraph (f), and against paragraphs (e) and (g) of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.)

 

 

7.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Robert Murphy was then put to the vote and was also negatived.

 

 

7.6

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried as follows:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that the South Yorkshire devolution deal, agreed with government in 2015 and supported by this Council in 2016, remains unimplemented, with the result that the city region does not have access to the agreed £30m/year gain-share funds, and that the powers agreed as part of the deal have not been devolved to the Mayor and Combined Authority;

 

(b)       further notes that, as a result of not having an implemented mayoral powers order, the Combined Authority has not been able to access other government funding streams, such as the top-sliced element of the Transforming Cities Fund that has been made available to other Mayoral Combined Authorities, and notes recent reports that not implementing the deal is costing the region up to £75 million in investment;

 

(c)        supports the Mayor’s manifesto commitment that “any new mayoralty should begin with the implementation of the 2015 agreement”;

 

(d)       believes that, following recent comments by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, that “there is already a deal that is on the table in Sheffield in terms of seeing that Sheffield City Region with its Mayor being able to get on and deliver for that community and to unlock the funding for that part of South Yorkshire. Therefore, I think that’s where our focus needs to be, obviously I will continue to look at devolution arrangements for Yorkshire but the priority needs to be getting the Sheffield City Region up and running delivering for that community and with it getting behind that deal, making it happen so we can then look at what other devolution arrangements maybe appropriate for Yorkshire”, it is clearer than ever that the South Yorkshire Deal is the only deal on the table and there should be no further delay to implementing the deal; and

 

(e)       calls upon the Sheffield City Region Mayor to bring forward all necessary measures to implement the South Yorkshire Deal and believes that this should be done by the end of January at the latest.

 

 

 

7.6.1

(NOTE: Councillors Kaltum Rivers, Douglas Johnson, Robert Murphy, Martin Phipps and Alison Teal voted for paragraphs (a) and (b), voted against paragraph (d), and abstained from voting on paragraphs (c) and (e) of the Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.)