Flood defences, transport funding and a 'mayor tax' - South Yorkshire leaders discuss issues affecting the county

Topics included flood defences, transport funding, bus idling, the mayor’s salary and a ‘mayor tax’ which won’t be happening.

Flood defences ‘welcome start’ but more is needed

Leaders have welcomed Government cash to bolster flood defences as a ‘good start’ but much more is needed to fully protect the region.

Mayor Jarvis welcomed the £80 million investment from central government for flood alleviation schemes across the region.

Projects range from small scale drainage works and property level protection measures to large scale flood defence schemes, such as Rotherham to Kilnhurst at £24 million and in the Upper Don at £38 million.

The Environment Agency’s programme incorporates 26 of the 27 South Yorkshire ‘Priority Programme’ schemes including work to address severely flood affected areas like Bentley and Fishlake, as well as a £40million ‘Nature Based Solutions’ programme covering the whole Don catchment.

But the mayor has said a further £125 million is needed to fully protect South Yorkshire and it is expected that further lobbying of Government departments will take place in the coming months.

“I'm pleased to confirm that in collaboration with the Environment Agency, we have secured 80 million from Government towards funding some of our identified flood prevention and protection schemes,” Mayor Jarvis said.

“This is a good start but I am determined as our local leaders that we work together to secure the remaining £125 million from Government to fully protect homes and businesses in our region.”

Transport funding concerns

Leaders agreed to freeze the amount of money they provide to help the running of bus and tram services.

SCR finance bosses raised some concern around future funding streams from Government for public transport.

Figures show passenger levels have not risen above 60 per cent in pre-Covid-19 times on buses and 40 per cent on trams.

SCR bosses have said the pandemic has had a ‘significant impact’ on the public transport network.

A report seen by councillors also says if services left without support, the current level of passenger reduction would ‘likely lead to the systematic withdrawal of commercially unviable services’ and potentially the collapse of operators.

The transport levy contribution, calculated in terms of population, will be frozen at £54 million with Sheffield paying 41 per cent of the bill at £22.5 million.

Doncaster will pay £12 million, Rotherham £10.2 million and Barnsley £9.5 million.

Bosses added that initial funding projections suggest that the income losses will ‘largely rebound’ in the new financial year, though it is likely that they will ‘remain susceptible to Covid related pressures’.

Gareth Sutton, SCR group finance director said: "“Of most immediate concern are the intentions of Government beyond March.”

Mayor to give salary away

Mayor Jarvis will not take a recommended salary of nearly £80,000 a year.

Following the implementation of the devolution deal, an independent panel suggested Mayor Jarvis should be paid £79,500 per annum for his role.

But the SCR head, who is also MP for Barnsley Central, said he would be donating his salary to good causes and charities across the area.

He has been working with no salary for his mayoral work for over two years due to the incomplete devolution deal.

Mayor Jarvis, who left the meeting while leaders deliberated on the proposals, accepted the panel’s recommendations of the salary amount but also welcomed the decision that it would be instead given to good causes.

‘Mayor tax’ not happening

Mr Jarvis also said he would not be implementing a mayoral precept that would add a bill on residents’ council tax to pay for services.

He said he was sticking to his manifesto pledge in 2018 not to introduce it and the pandemic also made it more difficult to ask people to pay one.

“Rather than asking South Yorkshire’s residents and businesses to put their hand in their pockets to support our economic recovery, we need Government to step up and back our plans for economic recovery. This will not only benefit our region but the wider north and the whole country,” he said.

Petition to stop idling buses

Leaders received a petition from a Handsworth man who said idling buses were causing his life a misery and kept himself and his neighbours awake at all hours.

Paul Gwiazda gathered 38 signatures and called on Mayor Jarvis, who has significant influence over South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, to force companies to act.

Mr Gwiazda also said his heart attack and resulting surgery was brought on by the stress of noise and air pollution from buses. He added buses sit idle in stops from early as 6am to after midnight outside his block of flats on Handsworth Road.

“It is about time bus companies took responsibility into stopping drivers idling while on long breaks and educating them on engine idling when possible. It is time Sheffield led the way on this and not tolerate this kind of pollution anymore,” Mr Gwiazda said.

Mayor Jarvis said he would ask SYPTE to intervene.

Name change for Sheffield City Region

Sheffield City Region is expected to be binned and replaced with a new name.

South Yorkshire Combined Authority (SYCA) is leading the way as the new title for the region and a total rebrand is expected in the spring.

The SCR was created to reflect councils in Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire which were part of the authority and were closely linked economically.

The name was agreeable but privately, critics said it alienated other parts of South Yorkshire that weren’t Sheffield.

But a shift in Government policy meant places like Chesterfield and Worksop had to join Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in their respective counties away from the rest of South Yorkshire to which they were former members.