Pressure now on for other parts of Yorkshire to secure devolution deals

The saga, which dragged on for two years, finally came to an end yesterday after the Government agreed to take the next step towards signing a devolution deal for the region, which encompasses Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield, and Rotherham - around 1.4m people.

There are two more steps to take before politicians sign on the dotted line, a Mayoral Combined Authority meeting and a public consultation.

But with all leaders now singing from the same hymn sheet, there is little stopping the deal - which would unlock a minimum of £900m for the area - going ahead, should the public agree.

There are, however, now questions about the remaining 3.2m people in the rest of Yorkshire not yet covered by a devolution, and what happens next for them.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry said: “Today’s news represents a considerable step forward in our mission to devolve more power, money and responsibility back to the people of the North.”

He said he was “delighted” that “significant progress is now being made to implement this ambitious agreement in full”.

He added: “Unlocking this devolution deal will be a game changing opportunity to unleash the potential of South Yorkshire ensuring your locally elected Mayor has a warchest of power and money to drive jobs and growth.”

And Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: "We stand at a critical moment for our country. As we leave the European Union, securing further powers and resources for South Yorkshire and building greater cooperation across Yorkshire will ensure we are best prepared for whatever Brexit brings.”

There were first glimmers of hope in May last year when the four South Yorkshire councils, Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis and Government agreed on how devolution should proceed.

It meant Barnsley and Doncaster councils, both of which signed up to the deal back in 2015 but then changed their minds to back a pan-Yorkshire arrangement, would be allowed to leave the Sheffield City Region deal if things changed.

Both councils were concerned they would be trapped in a South Yorkshire deal and so would not be able to join any Yorkshire-wide arrangement for at least 30 years.

But it was agreed that should Barnsley and Doncaster leave, Sheffield and Rotherham would keep their allocated funding and powers.

Now, a joint statement from Barnsley and Doncaster leaders - Stephen Houghton and Ros Jones - plus Mr Jarvis, and Sheffield and Rotherham leaders Julie Dore and Chris Read, put all in agreement on the way forward.

The statement said: “This represents a significant step forward in securing additional powers and resources for our region.”

The move was welcomed by Mr Jarvis, who said: “My responsibility to the people of South Yorkshire is to secure the greatest resources possible for them – particularly after a long decade of austerity and generations of systemic under-investment.

“We can do this far faster, and with much greater impact, with the significant additional powers and resources that devolution would deliver.”

But others, such as Hull West and Hessle MP Emma Hardy, said they were concerned about other parts of Yorkshire - such as the east - being left behind, and would still like to see a One Yorkshire deal covering the whole region with one mayor.

A spokesman for East Riding Council said yesterday: “We’re pushing for an urgent meeting with Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry to discuss an interim devolution deal for our area and to agree a way forward.”