Rebrand set for City Region mayoral combined authority

Documents seen by councillors show from July 16, the body will become the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

The MCA agreed at its meeting on January 25 to the principle of a name change and rebrand to reflect its South Yorkshire decision-making geography.

The Sheffield City Region 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.

Daniel Wright, head of communications and marketing at SCR, said: “At January’s MCA board, members agreed the principle of rebranding the MCA to reflect the organisation’s core business, decision making that primarily affects South Yorkshire.

“It was recognised that the existing Sheffield City Region brand was developed to represent a wider economic footprint taking in the geography of the non-constituent council areas.

“As this no longer applies to the LEP or the mayor, and as described above no longer relates to the core business of the MCA, it was considered appropriate to change the name and rebrand.

“Members agreed costed rebranding proposals would be worked up and presented to the MCA.”

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