Minutes:
The Chair welcomed the Mayor to the meeting and invited him to address the Committee.
A question was asked regarding economic inactivity, and what could be done to support disabled people to enter the workforce.
The Mayor agreed that lack of access to proper healthcare presents barriers to workforce development. He praised the Working Win programme, which had recently been renewed following lobbying efforts by the MCA. He stated that a better business charter was currently being developed to drive growth in the economy. The Board noted the Disability Employment Charter, and agreed that the MCA would look into its benefits for the MCA..
A discussion was held on the Mayor’s work to address health inequalities, and in particular recent evidence was raised showing that Barnsley had the highest rate of Covid deaths in the region.
The Mayor noted that he had taken on the role of Chair of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Partnership (ICP). As part of this body and other workstreams, the following initiatives were underway:
· Engagement with the Health Equity Commission led by Sir Michael Marmot,
· Establishment of a Health Inequalities Task and Finish Group to create an action plan for addressing health inequality in the region,
· The appointment of an Active Travel Commissioner to promote and support walking and cycling,
· Work with Harvard Bloomberg Philanthropies to investigate best practices on this topic and what could be done in South Yorkshire.
A follow up question asked how mental health would be addressed in this work. The Mayor agreed that this was an important subject, which formed a part of the ICP Strategy, but stated that without better Government strategies and funding, it would not be possible to solve this problem in South Yorkshire alone.
A question was also raised regarding early years and family support in relation to health inequalities. The Mayor put forward his support for the Sheffield Clean Air Zone and public transport developments as methods for creating healthier communities.
The Committee raised the announcement that Doncaster had not been successful in its bid to host the new Great British Railway headquarters. The Mayor shared his disappointment regarding this outcome, but noted that the Secretary of State for Transport had stated that Doncaster’s bid and ranking in the public vote had been strong, and would be writing to the Mayor with more detailed reasoning about why the bid had been unsuccessful.
It was raised that the Mayor of West Yorkshire had announced an ambition to create a mass transit system for the region, and it was asked whether the tram system could be extended to Barnsley and Doncaster. The Mayor agreed that the tram network was a good asset for the region, but noted that South Yorkshire had been unsuccessful in a number of Government funding bids, and that extending the network would not be possible without more funding. He noted the potential use of rail lines for extending the tram network, as well as The MCA’s decision to take the tram system into public ownership in March 2024.
Cllr Joshua Bacon raised particular bus routes which had been lost in Rotherham; he asked why a response from the Mayor on this issue had taken so long, and why no representative of the MCA attended a public meeting held on the matter.
The Mayor offered to attend a future public meeting. ACTION: The Mayor agreed to look into the concern raised about delayed correspondence.
The Committee asked what impacts the recent Government Budget announcement might have on the MCA and the region. The Mayor noted that there had been no mention of further UK Shared Prosperity Funding, but that South Yorkshire had been invited to make an Investment Zone submission, which could bring growth and investment opportunities to the region.
He also highlighted “trailblazer” devolution deals which had been agreed with Greater Manchester and West Midlands Combined Authorities, which the Government intended as blueprints for all future devolution deals.
The Mayor was asked how the £2 fare cap was funded. The Mayor informed the Committee that it had been funded through a combination of MCA and Government funding. It was noted that the “Mayor’s fare” campaign had included an extension of the £2 fare beyond what had been provided by Government and also included the 80p fares for young people.
A concern was raised about the possibility of job losses in the transition of taking the tram system into public ownership. The Mayor responded that the detailed work on transferring the operations to a new operating entity had now commenced and that the precise operating arrangements for 2024 onwards would be part of that work. TUPE regulations will apply, meaning that there will be no job losses as a result of the change of operator. The Mayor offered to keep the Committee appraised of developments as that detailed work progresses over the next few months.
It was asked what updates there were on the closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The Mayor responded that Doncaster Council was currently pursuing options for a potential compulsory purchase order of the Airport, which, if pursued, could take several years to complete. However, the MCA was also working closely with Doncaster Council and interested investors to try to secure private investment in the airport.
RESOLVED: that the update be noted.