Agenda item

European ‘Transition Regions’ Funding

It was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Helen Mirfin- Boukouris, that this Council:-

(a)       notes that the European Union has agreed that parts of the UK should receive ‘Transition Regions’ funding, which would include funding for South Yorkshire, despite opposition from the Government;

(b)       is dismayed that despite ‘Transition’ status, South Yorkshire is set to see a massively disproportionate reduction in its allocation of EU funding of up to 66%, due to the Government’s plans to re-allocate funding to protect Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from “sudden and significant reductions”;

(c)        deplores Government plans to, in effect, take European funding away from South Yorkshire to give it to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, particularly when Scotland and Northern Ireland have a higher Gross Value Added score;

(d)       believes it is completely indefensible to take money away from South Yorkshire which would be spent on helping people into work, offering more apprenticeships and training, reducing emissions, building flood defences and helping business to export more and benefit from new technologies, and welcomes action taken by South Yorkshire MPs and MEPs in campaigning against this move;

(e)       is concerned by reports that Government Ministers in charge of allocating the funds are considering giving a larger share of funding to the south of England than was allocated in the last funding round in 2007; and

(f)        regrets that this Government and the Deputy Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, have yet again let Sheffield and South Yorkshire down and urges them to urgently reconsider these proposals and give South Yorkshire a fair deal.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Ian Auckland, seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:-

(a)       welcomes the relative rise in prosperity in South Yorkshire, which has seen the region re-designated as a ‘transition region’;

(b)       regrets that, under the agreement approved by the previous Government, transition region funding to South Yorkshire reduced by 87% over just four years, from €153 million in 2007 to just €20 million by 2011;

(c)        notes reports, that far from Labour politicians’ claims, South Yorkshire will actually see an increase in transition region funding next year from €20 million to €23 million;

(d)       highlights that this increase in funding comes in addition to massive levels of investment by the Coalition Government in Sheffield City Region, including:

(i)         unlocking hundreds of millions of pounds of investment through the City Deal;

(ii)        over £100 million for local businesses through the Regional Growth Fund;

(iii)       more than £18 million for the Sheffield City Region through the Growing Places Fund;

(iv)       £1.2 billion to enable the Streets Ahead project to proceed;

(v)        £10 million to construct a Sheffield University Technical College and another £10 million towards the world’s most advanced research factory; and

(vi)       millions of pounds invested in Sheffield’s transport infrastructure including trams, train services and greener buses;

(e)       further notes that the Administration is yet to publish how it has spent an existing £13 million of European Regional Development Fund currently allocated to a South Yorkshire JESSICA Fund; and

(f)        is disappointed that yet again the Administration are playing fast and loose with the facts in a desperate attempt to deflect attention from their own failings.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived. 

The votes on the amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

After a right of reply by Councillor Leigh Bramall, the original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       notes that the European Union has agreed that parts of the UK should receive ‘Transition Regions’ funding, which would include funding for South Yorkshire, despite opposition from the Government;

(b)       is dismayed that despite ‘Transition’ status, South Yorkshire is set to see a massively disproportionate reduction in its allocation of EU funding of up to 66%, due to the Government’s plans to re-allocate funding to protect Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from “sudden and significant reductions”;

(c)        deplores Government plans to, in effect, take European funding away from South Yorkshire to give it to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, particularly when Scotland and Northern Ireland have a higher Gross Value Added score;

(d)       believes it is completely indefensible to take money away from South Yorkshire which would be spent on helping people into work, offering more apprenticeships and training, reducing emissions, building flood defences and helping business to export more and benefit from new technologies, and welcomes action taken by South Yorkshire MPs and MEPs in campaigning against this move;

(e)       is concerned by reports that Government Ministers in charge of allocating the funds are considering giving a larger share of funding to the south of England than was allocated in the last funding round in 2007; and

(f)        regrets that this Government and the Deputy Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, have yet again let Sheffield and South Yorkshire down and urges them to urgently reconsider these proposals and give South Yorkshire a fair deal.