The devolution debate rumbles on throughout the corridors of power in Westminster and across our region. This is what has happened so far.
JULY 2012
Then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visits The Sheffield College to mark the launch of the “City Deal.”
Central Government will transfer money into a £72m investment fund in skills and will also put money into a transport fund worth up to £500m.
OCTOBER 2015
Document sets out the terms of a deal between the Government and Leaders of Sheffield City Region to devolve a range of powers to Sheffield City Council and to a new Directly Elected Mayor (DEM).
JULY 2014
First wave of Sheffield Growth Deals announced. £295.2m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund for Sheffield City Region to support economic growth in the area.
DECEMBER 2014
Building on the City Deal and the City Growth Deals, a devolution agreement giving Sheffield greater control over transport, skills, housing and business support was announced.
OCTOBER 2015
Document sets out the terms of a deal between the Government and Leaders of Sheffield City Region to devolve a range of powers to Sheffield City Council and to a new Directly Elected Mayor (DEM).
DECEMBER 2015
Sheffield Council Leader Julie Dore says that the authority will not support the government devolution deal as she disagrees with the DEM’s power to veto unanimously supported decisions.
She said the veto should be removed and council leaders given the right to override the mayor if two-thirds agree.
MARCH 2016
The devolution deal wins the support of all nine councils affected within Sheffield City Region. Sheffield was the last to sign.
AUGUST 2016
Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Councillor Anne Western says the authority has been left with no choice but to launch a legal challenge against proposals to put a Sheffield City Mayor in charge of council servicesin Chesterfield.
Waiting on a judicial review from London High Court over the proposals, which are believed to be “misleading and flawed.”
DECEMBER 2016
The High Court rules the consultation on whether Chesterfield should be part of the Sheffield City Council was unlawful and unfair.
JANUARY 2017
Election for a new DEM is delayed until May 2018 at the earliest because of the legal challenge.
JANUARY 2017
Yorkshire devolution proposal rejected by Sheffield Labour MPs.
JANUARY 2017
Northern Powerhouse Minister Andrew Percy has warned council leaders the Government will not agree to a plan for a Yorkshire elected Mayor, and branded it a “distraction.”
JUNE 2017
Chesterfield Borough Council announces its withdrawal from the devolution agreement. Bassetlaw District Council confirms it no longer wants full constituent membership.
AUGUST 2017
17 Yorkshire Councils, including Barnsley and Doncaster, have signed up to the “Yorkshire Day” agreement. The deal could see devolution brought to the entire Yorkshire region.
The Sheffield City Region devolution deal continues separately.
JULY 2017
A Yorkshire-wide devolution deal has been ruled out by Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry.
JULY 2017
Sheffield City Region’s devolution deal is put on hold until September. At a meeting of the Combined Authority, Sir Steve Houghton of Barnsley and Elected Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, said they wanted to explore any benefit of other deals.
SEPTEMBER 2017
Leaders of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils could not reach agreement, to initiate public consultation on mayoral powers relating to devolution. Councils haven’t formally announced they have backed out.
OCTOBER 2017
Case for the One Yorkshire deal to be debated in the House of Commons.
OCTOBER 2017
Barnsley MP Dan Jarvis is to hold talks with Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry over the ongoing deadlock on Yorkshire devolution, after the pair exchanged messages over Twitter.
Labour’s John Grogan wrote to Archbishop of York John Sentamu asking him to consider calling a meeting to end the Devolution debate.
OCTOBER 2017
Minister Lord Bourne states that the devolution deal should continue to go ahead despite Barnsley and Doncaster withdrawing support.
OCTOBER 2017
Council Chiefs from across Yorkshire hold a talk to try and iron out a plan to persuade the Government over the One Yorkshire plan.
NOVEMBER 2017
Barnsley and Doncaster councils decided to give the public in both towns a vote on December 20 on whether they should join the Sheffield City region or One Yorkshire.
NOVEMBER 2017
A £5 million project to help long-term unemployed in South Yorkshire is halted by the Government because of uncertainty over devolution.
NOVEMBER 2017
Chancellor Philip Hammond announced half of a new £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund would be shared by six areas with elected mayors in the Autumn 2017 Budget Speech.
DECEMBER 2017
Lord Jim O’Neill, former treasury minister, said a cabinet of four mayors serving over each of the corners of Yorkshire could be the solution to solving the region’s deadlock over devolution.
DECEMBER 2017
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid sends letter to local council leaders saying there may be a compromise under which they could join a future One Yorkshire deal. However, he urges Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham councils to fully implement the existing Sheffield City Region deal.
DECEMBER 2017
More than 75,000 votes are cast in Barnsley and Doncaster to decide whether the towns will support a Sheffield City Region or One Yorkshire deal. The One Yorkshire deal comes out on top however turnout was only 22.4 per cent in Barnsley and 20.1 per cent in Doncaster.
