Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed Members and apologies were noted as above.

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RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 26th September were confirmed as a true and accurate record.

RESOLVED: that Members approved all recommendations made during of the previous inquorate meeting.

Updates to the action log were noted, including that open actions regarding community transport and skills strategy had been or would be addressed as part of informal Committee work plan sessions.

Members enquired about the process in place for the translation of marketing materials. ACTION – Democratic services to enquire about SYMCA translation protocols and policies.

RESOLVED: that Members noted updates to the Action Log.

The Forward Plan of Key Decisions at the time of publishing papers was presented.

Members enquired as to when the Brownfield Housing decision on the Forward Plan would be made. ACTION – Democratic Services to find out when the Brownfield Housing decision will be made.

Members asked if UK Shared Prosperity Funding would continue for another year and then cease. Officers confirmed this was correct.

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

Noted the attached latest Forward Plan of SYMCA Key Decisions,

An update on the English Devolution Bill and Autumn Statement was presented which noted:

• The Autumn Statement was a 1-year budget, and a Government Spending Review would be completed in 2026.

• MCAs could be considered as Local Councils for Local Government Finance Settlement, improving the longevity of funding.
• The MCA would be eligible to receive an Integrated Settlement from April 2026.
• An English Devolution Bill White Paper was expected to be published soon, which would provide further clarity on future funding.

Members asked whether a business plan would be needed to receive funding and whether the MCA would define its own objectives. Officers explained that the MCA would define its own objectives and agree a set of outcomes rather than submitting a business plan.

A discussion was had around the importance of safeguards and budget scrutiny, including options such as building the MCA budget into the scrutiny plan and analysing the overall outcome framework,

ACTION: Director for Development, Collaboration and Culture to deliver a briefing on the White paper once published.

RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the content of this report.

An update on the MCA’s analysis and insight capability was presented, noting that this work focused on 3 strands:

1.    The development of stronger business cases, to secure funding and further improve policy.

2.    Working closely with partners across the region, including universities, on a shared approach to analysis and research.

3.    Further development of the analytical function of the MCA to better implement an Integrated Settlement.

The presentation also updated on progress in developing an in-house corporate reporting system.

Members commented that it would be useful if the performance reporting system could capture variations in spending from budget, to inform the delivery of integrated settlement.

Members asked if and how data and research was shared between different MCAs. The Director of Insight responded that work was underway through various forums with different MCAs, and collaboration was ongoing across Yorkshire and the Humber on regional data.

RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the update.

An update on the Gateway Review was presented, and noted that:

·         The review examined how projects were chosen, as well as the outcomes and impacts of projects which had been delivered.

·         A Local Evaluation Framework had been developed, examining 56 schemes, and the latest set of evidence papers had been submitted.

·         The MCA was awaiting the final report, which would be published once received.

·         The Government contracted Evaluation Panel had found the strategic alignment and closure reports from the MCA to be strong but noted that revenue monitoring and categorisation of funding needed to be strengthened.

The Head of Assurance and Evaluation explained that the MCA would attend a peer review session with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) upon the completion of the final report to discuss recommendations and create an action plan.

Members asked when the Committee would receive the final report and how Gainshare Funding would interact with the Integrated Settlement. ACTION – The Head of Assurance and Evaluation to circulate the report to Members.

It was explained that MHCLG would only highlight recommendations, and that Gainshare Funding would likely become part of the Integrated Settlement, however, this was still to be confirmed.

RESOLVED that the Committee:

1. Noted the feedback received from the national evaluators of the Gateway Review.

2.Considered how the findings and recommendations from the Final Evaluation should be implemented in preparation for the next phase of devolution.

An update on the Bus Reform Consultation was presented, which noted that:

• As of the 28^th November, 3,927 responses had been received of which 61% were from Sheffield, 16% were from Doncaster, 10% were from Rotherham and 8% were from Barnsley.
• Further marketing would be targeted at Rotherham, Barnsley, at ethnic minority groups, and at under 25’s as these groups had the lowest response rates.
• 100,000 leaflets would be delivered to harder to reach areas.
• There were 26 drop-in events, and various stakeholders had been engaged across the region.

Members asked if the MCA was investigating which specific areas of the region were providing the lowest response rates. The Project Director-Legal explained that responsive action had been taken to target lower response areas.

Members asked about the venues for the drop-in events. ACTION – Democratic Services to circulate the list of venues of drop-in events.

In response to Members queries on the decision-making process, it was explained that the MCA Board would make a recommendation to the Mayor, who would consider responses and all other material considerations before making a final decision. The consultation analysis and response reports would be made public in the March MCA Board paper

RESOLVED that the Committee noted the content of the update.

[The Mayor joined the meeting].

Councillor Bacon asked about the Solar Project in Rotherham and Doncaster and if the Mayor would ensure that residents were heard. The Mayor was aware of the project and that he wanted South Yorkshire to be a part of the solution to the Climate Emergency. He believed the Councils were listening to residents; however, he would always consider residents’ concerns when raised with him.

Members asked what the Government increase to bus fare caps and freeze on petrol duty for individual cars meant for bus franchising. The Mayor responded that South Yorkshire needed to improve public transport usage, however motorists needed to be supported as well. He also noted that the changes made by the Government did not impact the franchising process as careful assessments as to how franchising would be implemented had been completed. 

Members asked if South Yorkshire would adopt the £3 bus fare cap or retain the lower £2 fare. He reported that the £3 fare cap would be adopted in South Yorkshire due to a lack of transport funding from the previous Government, and work was needed to migrate people back to multi-saver tickets.

Members asked whether the Mayor had been able to have conversations with Leaders on improving scrutiny measures. ACTION- The Mayor will write to the Committee when he is able to provide an update.

Members asked about the MCAs restrained budget submission to the Government. The Mayor responded that the MCA was not currently able to accept the Integrated Settlement due to the systems it had in place and a lack of Trailblazer funding from the previous Government. 2026 was identified as a potential year for the MCA to accept the Integrated Settlement. However, the restrained budget submitted by the MCA ensured that funding was received for important services, such as buses and trams.

Members asked how the Mayor would engage with the public on a growth plan for priorities in the region. They highlighted that acceptance of an Integrated Settlement in the future would mean a change from the project-led way of working the MCA had engaged with previously. The Mayoral Manifesto set out how these priorities would be achieved, and The Mayor would be happy to consult with the public on further priorities.

Members asked for an update on the progress of the recruitment of a Deputy Mayor for Policing & Crime. The Mayor reported that a Deputy Mayor would be hired in the New Year following the completion of an ongoing process.

The Chair asked about the Restoring your Railways Scheme. The Mayor responded that the new Government decided not to continue this scheme, however discussions were now being held to examine whether a tram-train line could be built at Barrow Hill and Stocksbridge.

RESOLVED: that the update be noted.