Sheffield to get devolution

[Jeffrey Shaw 93]

The rejected mayor vote was just for the city of Sheffield wasn't it?

 

Sheffield City region as it is currently designated takes in a substantial chunk of the Midlands

 

http://sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/about/overview/

 

That area extends all the way down to Ashbourne

Yes. The "SCR" is South Yorkshire + four districts in the northern half of Derbyshire and one from Nottinghamshire. The full list is:

 

Sheffield

Rotherham

Barnsley

Doncaster

Chesterfield

North East Derbyshire

Bolsover

Bassetlaw

Derbyshire Dales

 

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_City_Region. But I'd prefer:

a. a more generic name (e.g. "North Midlands Region"); and

b. to stop calling the office 'City Mayor' when it is to be much more than SCC.

 

---------- Post added 03-10-2015 at 22:40 ----------

 

What would this mean for the right to buy council housing in Sheffield? would the council put a stop to it in Sheffield?

Nothing at all. The Housing Act 1988 applies to the whole of England & Wales.

[Manlinose 10]

I am surprised at the negativity.

 

As this is Sheffield forum, I'm surprised you are surprised

[treeko1 10]

By far the most interesting thing about this imo is the inclusion of Chesterfield (and the other South Yorks "satellites").

 

Not sure how our Derbyshire Neighbours are going to take to this idea.Whats next moving the actual County boundary.I sense a backlash.

[atlex48 10]

I have been thinking.

 

I wonder if George Galloway might apply. Then we wil all be happy EH !

[SYorksDeano 10]

You can almost hear those in local town halls climbing over each other to make sure they have their snouts in the new trough thats coming their way.

 

Unfortunately Sheffield won't be doing that because if you are to believe the council and their spending, they can't afford a new trough.....in fact we don't even have a pot to **** in

[Happ Hazzard 10]

Sheffield pays plenty of council tax, and the bulk of it goes straight into the greedy pockets of council employees, particularly those at the top end. The council is ridiculously inefficient if you compare it to private sector companies with that type of revenue coming in.

[avalunche 10]

I am surprised at the negativity. This is a first step and a pretty big one. If the Mayor can make things work maybe more devolution will take place.

 

In 30 years we could see a rejuvenated and highly prosperous area. Advanced manufacturing is on the up, If we can get standards up in education and have the jobs here to satisfy the young we could indeed be at the start of a renaissance a creation of the hub of the northern powerhouse.

 

Why not?

 

Have you only just moved here or something? Stop and take a look around you. Council tax already doubled in the last 10 years. How is this Mayor going to do anything but waste waste waste. Like the stupid road works around Snig Hill / Bridge street. Must be costing millions to turn a fully functioning usable road into a one way traffic jam with some grass verges and 4 metre+ wide pavements. Useful.

[apelike 10]

Have you only just moved here or something? Stop and take a look around you. Council tax already doubled in the last 10 years. How is this Mayor going to do anything but waste waste waste. Like the stupid road works around Snig Hill / Bridge street. Must be costing millions to turn a fully functioning usable road into a one way traffic jam with some grass verges and 4 metre+ wide pavements. Useful.

 

But having an elected Mayor means that these stupid council decisions could be stopped from happening.

[Douglas J 10]

Have you only just moved here or something? Stop and take a look around you. Council tax already doubled in the last 10 years. How is this Mayor going to do anything but waste waste waste. Like the stupid road works around Snig Hill / Bridge street. Must be costing millions to turn a fully functioning usable road into a one way traffic jam with some grass verges and 4 metre+ wide pavements. Useful.

 

I'm afraid that just isn't true. In fact, council tax was £847.48 for a Band A property in 2005 and it is now £1,015.16. so that's only a 20% total increase in 10 years or an average increase of only 1.8% a year.

 

---------- Post added 04-10-2015 at 22:30 ----------

 

Sheffield pays plenty of council tax, and the bulk of it goes straight into the greedy pockets of council employees, particularly those at the top end. The council is ridiculously inefficient if you compare it to private sector companies with that type of revenue coming in.

 

This is something else that is a bit misleading. Apart from the fact that many private sector companies are incredibly inefficient, most of the Council's spending (over 60%) goes straight to private sector businesses because of the amount of the council's work that has been privatised.

[the fonz 10]

You can almost hear those in local town halls climbing over each other to make sure they have their snouts in the new trough thats coming their way.

 

Why?, the towns halls wont be in charge and will have to submit bids for the money from SCR.

 

---------- Post added 05-10-2015 at 09:33 ----------

 

Yes, that's what I'm afraid of too. Sheffield council has no one of the right calibre to run this. They couldn't run the proverbial p*** up in a brewery.

 

The person wont come from Sheffield Council.

 

---------- Post added 05-10-2015 at 09:36 ----------

 

By far the most interesting thing about this imo is the inclusion of Chesterfield (and the other South Yorks "satellites").

 

Not sure how our Derbyshire Neighbours are going to take to this idea.Whats next moving the actual County boundary.I sense a backlash.

 

The mayor is for the combined authority so Sheffield, Donnie, Barnsley and Rotherham, not for the city region area.

 

The person will certainly have influence over that area but wont be mayor over it, no boundary's will move but as places like Chesterfield and Bassetlaw often look to Sheffield for jobs etc they are included in the city region.

[Alan Ladd 10]

Have you only just moved here or something? Stop and take a look around you. Council tax already doubled in the last 10 years. How is this Mayor going to do anything but waste waste waste. Like the stupid road works around Snig Hill / Bridge street. Must be costing millions to turn a fully functioning usable road into a one way traffic jam with some grass verges and 4 metre+ wide pavements. Useful.

 

No Ive lived here all my life (over 70 years). I have seen the mismanagement, corruption and shear incompetence that has plagued the place all my life.

 

That is why we need a change, not of political party, at council level they are all equally inept. We need a leader. I dont care which party he represents as long as he/she is efficient honest and in place to stay.

 

Look at what Guilliani accomplished in New York, Ken and Boris in London. We need leadership, if we get the right person we could succeed.

 

Every other contribution on this subject is the usual bleating negativity, get your fingers out, get positive.

[glennpickard 10]

If you look at what has happened to Sheffield over the past 50 years since the mid sixties when much of the city's manufacturing disappeared, progress is poor relative to infrastructure, new buildings, new industry, new incentives etc. Maybe more so when compared to other similar sized cities. So I am thinking it cannot get much worse if Sheffield has a mayor and a group around him/her . If the city carries on waiting for hand outs from London it has no control over its future

 

The city has to ensure proper fiscal controls are in place and adhered to, and its must get its planning priorities in the right place.

What formula was used to calculate the devolution amounts which appears to be around 30M GBP pa? Will the council be given all the facts before this is put into place, will the public see them ? Is there a formula and are other councils to be offered the same formula ? Is it based on past Sheffield (area) spending or is it based on Sheffield's

annual tax contribution numbers.

I am asking these questions as I have a "Babes in the woods" vision of the London government wizz kids trying to pull the wool over, when the explanations are given !