Mayor Ros Jones calls for ‘green industrial revolution’ in Doncaster to fully recover following ‘destruction of industries under Thatcher’

Addressing a meeting of the full council, the mayor said there was an opportunity to bring ‘new engineering and manufacturing jobs’ to the borough which has ‘never fully recovered’ from the ‘destruction’ of industries ‘under Margeret Thatcher’.

She said a ‘Doncaster Talks’ listening exercise would take place over the summer and across the borough with residents, businesses and local organisations in order to best tackle the climate crisis.

A number of public sector organisations including the council has agreed to create a cross-sector, partnership group which will be chaired by Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband.

The group will involve councillors from cabinet and the overview and scrutiny committee.

The partnership group will advise the council and others on achieving a ‘robust baseline starting position’ for CO2 emissions in the borough and aim to achieve net zero emissions. No target date has been set for this at the moment.

The group will report back to the council and others in spring 2020.

The mayor is also proposing to bring a ‘climate and biodiversity emergency’ motion to full council in September.

Mayor Jones said: “I’m really pleased by the cross party support in wanting to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis we face – and the need for action now, in the medium term and longer-term.

“We want to be radical and look for example at how can support initiatives like the Northern Forest by planting more trees, and explore re-wilding opportunities to support and enhance our biodiversity.

“I would like to send out a message in regards to the previous chancellor’s comment that tackling climate change will cost over a trillion pounds.

“I see tackling climate change as an opportunity for Doncaster and this country, to bring new manufacturing and engineering jobs to places like Doncaster that have never fully recovered from the destruction of our industries under Margaret Thatcher.

“What we need is a green Industrial Revolution with huge investment in new technologies and green industries, and I believe with cross party support we can deliver this locally for the people of Doncaster.”