The Mayoral Combined Authority Board met on Tuesday 16 June 2026, approving amendments to the council's constitution and endorsing a schedule of meetings for the upcoming municipal year. The Board also considered and approved the revised Code of Corporate Governance and the draft Annual Governance Statement, alongside noting progress in risk management and commenting on the Corporate Risk Management Dashboard.

Nominations and Appointments to Committees 2026/27

The Board approved the schedule of meetings for the 2026/27 municipal year and endorsed the elected and independent member nominations for the MCA's Committees, Advisory Groups, Employment Panel, and Outside Bodies. Authority was also delegated to the Monitoring Officer to approve any new Independent Persons appointments required as a consequence of revised appointments made by Barnsley Council, with any such changes to be reported to the next meeting of the MCA Board.

Annual Corporate Governance Update

The Board considered and approved the revised Code of Corporate Governance, as recommended by the Audit, Standards and Risk Committee. They also approved the draft Annual Governance Statement and Governance Improvement Plan. Progress in maturing the approach to risk management was noted, and the Board commented on the Corporate Risk Management Dashboard. The Audit, Standards and Risk Chair's Annual Report and the Overview and Scrutiny Chair's Annual Report were also considered, along with their respective action plans to address findings from effectiveness surveys.

Constitutional Arrangements

The Board approved amendments to the Constitution recommended by the Monitoring Officer, as set out in Appendix A of the report. Authority was delegated to the Monitoring Officer to amend and publish a revised MCA Constitution containing these approved changes. The Board also noted the implications for the MCA's powers and duties arising from the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, as summarised in Appendix B.

Capital Investment Programme Outturn 2025/26 Report

The Board noted the Capital Investment Programme 2025/26 Outturn Report, which detailed the capital investment programme for the past financial year. Laurie Thomas, Director of Programme Delivery, presented the report, highlighting that the programme delivered £168 million of investment, the highest annual delivery to date.

Programme Performance and Approvals Report

The Board considered the performance of the MCA's externally funded capital and revenue programmes to the end of Q4 2025/26. Several schemes were progressed to full approval, including Nether Edge Wedge (Active Travel) Phase 1 - Charter Row (£12.46m grant to Sheffield City Council) and AT City Centre Connections – Castle Street (£2.4m grant to Sheffield City Council). In-principle approval was given for SYMCA Bus Lane Review (£3m grant to SYMCA) and Doncaster 191 (£3.97m grant/loan to Vac-Ex Ltd). Full approval was also granted for Highways Maintenance Incentive Funding 2026/27 (£7.064m grant).

Delegated authority was granted to the Head of Paid Service, Section 73 and Monitoring Officer for the progression of Integrated Settlement - Active Travel Revenue Funding (£3.23m grant). Delegated authority was also given to the Executive Director for Growth, Business and Skills for the development of proposals for, and award of grants and contracts for, the Construction Skills Package and for the extension of the Business Growth Advisor Service (c£0.75m grant).

The Board approved the utilisation of any unspent Adult Skills funding from AY 2024/25 for delivery of procured provision in AY 2025/26. Furthermore, the acceptance of several grants was approved: £1.42m from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for the Housing Retrofit Programme; £1.87m from the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) for the Made Smarter Yorkshire and Humber Programme ; £1.31m from the DBT for Made Smarter Enhancement Funding ; and £0.5m from DESNZ for Made Smarter Housing Retrofit .

The submission of an Expression of Interest and any further bid to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for the Third National Forest Programme was endorsed, along with consortia bids to establish the What Works Centre for Local Employment Support (WWCLES) and a bid to the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund programme . An update on the South Yorkshire Local Innovation Partnerships Fund was also noted. Finally, delegated authority was granted to the Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer, to enter into legal agreements for these points.

Decisions and Delegated Authority Report

The Board noted the decisions and delegations made. Katharine Hammond, Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, highlighted an important moment in the bus franchising programme: the start of the process of electrifying the depots to enable the deployment of a fleet of electric buses across the region.

Announcements

Mayor Oliver Coppard, Chair of the Mayoral Combined Authority, welcomed new members Councillor William Brown, Leader of Barnsley Council, and Councillor Zeehu Nass, Deputy Leader of Sheffield City Council. He also welcomed Dave Pike as TEC Regional Secretary, attending as a standing observer. The Mayor provided updates on several key initiatives:

• White Rose Rail Board: The Mayor expressed pride in hosting the meeting in South Yorkshire alongside fellow Yorkshire mayors, highlighting a shared purpose to improve rail services for the region. He noted the momentum building nationally, with Yorkshire at the front of the queue for £45 billion investment in the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme, including plans for four fast trains an hour between Sheffield and Leeds. The appointment of Lord David Blunkett as Chair of the Board was welcomed.
• UK REEF: South Yorkshire's strong presence at UK REEF was highlighted, with over 1,000 delegates visiting the pavilion. The collective strength of the region was emphasised as crucial for building confidence and attracting investment.
• China Delegation: The Mayor reported on a successful delegation to Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, aimed at attracting new investment to the region. He noted growing interest in South Yorkshire's offerings and the follow-up conversations regarding Doncaster Sheffield Airport and broader areas of work.
• Creative and Cultural Investment Framework: The framework, launched at Yellow Watch Studios in Sheffield, is a long-term plan to unlock the potential of the creative and cultural sector, which contributes £2 billion to the regional economy and supports over 31,000 jobs. Tribute was paid to Tom Hunt, former leader of Sheffield Council, for his work on this initiative.
• Loss of Members: The Mayor paid tribute to the work of Steve Howden in Barnsley and on the board, and Tom Hunt, former leader of Sheffield Council, acknowledging their significant contributions.

The meeting also covered nominations and appointments to committees for 2026/27, the annual corporate governance update, and constitutional arrangements, all of which were approved. The Capital Investment Programme Outturn 2025/26 report was noted, and the Programme Performance and Approvals Report saw several schemes progressed to full approval, with others receiving in-principle approval or delegated authority for further consideration. The Decisions and Delegated Authority Report was also noted, with a specific mention of the bus franchising programme's electrification of depots.