Doncaster MP criticises council funding of Sheffield Supertram, launching survey

On Monday (18 January) Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher criticised the public funding of Sheffield’s Supertram, launching a campaign survey for South Yorkshire residents on the issue.

It comes after a meeting of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) in January in which public ownership of the city’s tram system was approved.

Councillors and leaders from across the region including Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones approved the plans.

An estimated £6.3 million loss in the first year will be subsidised by the South Yorkshire Transport Levy, which each local authority contributes towards.

Mr Fletcher has been consistently critical of South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and the plans since they were first announced.

Sharing his survey on social media, he wrote: “Do you agree with me that it’s a scandal that the people of Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham have to pay for Sheffield Supertrams?

“Doncaster is losing out on £23 million. Similar amounts for Barnsley and Rotherham. It’s wrong. It’s unfair and it has to stop.”

The survey, which is available on a Conservative Party website, includes questions such as:

“Did you know that both of the Leaders of Barnsley and Doncaster have publicly stated that their residents will get zero benefit from Sheffield’s Supertrams?

“Do you support Nick Fletcher MP’s campaign for Sheffield to pay entirely for its own Supertrams?”

It comes as a 30 year renewal of the service was also approved, at the cost of £596 million through various government transport grants.

Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones previously stated that the city’s taxpayers should not pay for the tram’s renewal, calling upon government to fund the service.

During January’s meeting, she said: “I hope the government will think again and provide direct funding for tram renewal as they have for the mass transit in West Yorkshire with the allocation of 2.5bn through Network North.

“My views on the trams are well known, however I do accept that they are beneficial for Sheffield and Rotherham, so once again I call on the government to provide the specific funding for South Yorkshire tram renewal.”