The Mayoral Combined Authority Board of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Council met on Tuesday 15 September 2026, approving significant funding for housing development and city regeneration, and endorsing a new regional strategy. Key decisions included the endorsement of the South Yorkshire Strategy, the allocation of £118 million for the National Housing Delivery Fund, and £85 million for the City Densification Fund.

South Yorkshire Strategy and Proposed Implementation Approach

The Board endorsed the South Yorkshire Strategy as the shared regional framework and approved a collective impact implementation approach. This strategy outlines a long-term vision for South Yorkshire, focusing on three core ambitions: ensuring every person can stay near and go far, making South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country, and ensuring every community is connected and proud of its place. The implementation approach will focus on developing partnership and governance arrangements to provide strategic oversight, facilitate focused partnership activity on priority challenges, and ensure regular opportunities for regional engagement and accountability. The strategy itself was developed through extensive engagement with partners across local authorities, the NHS, education, businesses, trade unions, and the voluntary sector.

National Housing Development Fund

The Board welcomed the award of £118,270,000 from the National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) to support housing growth across South Yorkshire. This funding will be delivered through a proposed mini-programme approach, grouping schemes into 15 programmes to allow for greater flexibility in managing delivery and funding. The programme aims to unlock up to 7,000 new homes, with a focus on affordable and sustainable housing. The Board also noted the link to the Programme Performance and Approvals Report, which presented the NHDF Programme Business Case for consideration and approval.

City Densification Fund

South Yorkshire has been allocated £85 million from the government's City Densification Fund to support housing, regeneration, and employment growth in priority urban locations. The Board endorsed the programme approach for this fund and agreed on three priority schemes to progress: Sheffield Moorfoot, Sheffield Station Campus, and Rotherham Gateway. These schemes are intended to address viability barriers preventing development in city centres and locations associated with the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme. Individual funding allocations will be subject to the development of appropriate business cases and formal assurance processes.

Governance Update

The Board noted the recommendation from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee to implement the Scrutiny Protocol in full. Authority was given to the Monitoring Officer to convene an Independent Remuneration Panel to consider remuneration for MCA members in line with new legislative provisions. The Board also endorsed a two-stage approach to reviewing the MCA's governance arrangements, anticipating statutory changes to the scrutiny function, the implementation of bus franchising operations, and the integration of fire and rescue functions. Ongoing conversations with central government regarding legacy issues within the MCA's establishing orders were also noted and endorsed.

Programme Performance and Approvals Report

The Board reviewed the performance of the MCA's externally funded capital and revenue programmes at the end of Quarter 1 2026/27. Significant project approvals were made, including:

• Darton Bus Corridor Real Time Information Improvements: Full approval and award of £1.2m grant to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC) for improvements to bus stop facilities and real-time information displays.
• Penistone to Wortley TPT Improvement Scheme: Full approval and award of £1.53m grant to BMBC for targeted enhancements to a section of the Trans Pennine Trail to improve accessibility and usability.
• Barnsley Active Travel Route – Broadway Schools Travel Links: Full approval and award of £1.1m grant to BMBC for the upgrade of walking, wheeling, and cycling routes to four local schools.
• A61 Chesterfield Road – Phase 2: Post Outline Business Case (OBC) in-principle approval and award of £7.61m grant to Sheffield City Council (SCC) for bus service enhancements and pedestrian access improvements along a key transport corridor.
• National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) Programme: Endorsement of the programme-level Strategic Business Case (SBC) and release of £1.5m for development funding.

The Board also approved the acceptance of several grants totalling over £5.3 million, including funding for the Heat Network Zones programme, the South Yorkshire Music Hub, the Prevention Acceleration Programme, and the Rough Sleeping programme. Endorsement was also given to the submission of two funding bids to the Cabinet Office for the One Public Estate Pathfinder Pilot and the Regional Capability Fund.

Public Questions

During the public question session, residents raised concerns regarding:

• Tunnel Proposals: A question was asked about the viability of a new tunnel proposal using the Norwegian BLAST method, examining private funding through tolling. Mayor Oliver Coppard expressed interest in exploring this possibility, acknowledging the need for cost-effectiveness and environmental considerations.
• King Edward Swimming Pool: Dr Nicola Pawley and Elizabeth Lamoney inquired about securing funds to reopen the King Edward swimming pool in Sheffield, citing public health and water safety. Mayor Coppard and Councillor Fran Belbin, Leader of Sheffield City Council, acknowledged the sadness of the pool's closure and highlighted ongoing investments in other leisure facilities across Sheffield.
• New Street, Blackston: Mrs E. Wilson raised concerns about the poor infrastructure and dropped curbs in New Street, Blackston, impacting wheelchair accessibility. Doncaster Council officers detailed planned assessment and improvement works to enhance accessibility in the area.
• Free Bus Travel for Under-18s vs. Over-60s: Kate Savage questioned the spending on free bus travel for under-18s in Sheffield, suggesting funds could be better used for free passes for those aged 60 and over. Mayor Coppard explained that the schemes are funded separately and defended the investment in young people, citing the challenges they face and the importance of accessible transport for their future opportunities.

Announcements

Mayor Oliver Coppard made several announcements, including:

• South Yorkshire People's Network: Highlighting that bus services will return to public control in September 2027, with decisions on fares, routes, and timetables to be made locally.
• E-bike Subscription Scheme: Launching next spring with an initial £1.3 million investment to make e-bikes more affordable and accessible.
• SuperTram Fleet Engagement: A final opportunity for public input on the design of a new SuperTram fleet, expected around 2032.
• Free Bus and Tram Travel Pilot: A pilot offering free travel for Sheffield residents aged 5-18, extending the success of the Barnsley MyCard scheme, with plans for wider South Yorkshire rollout.
• Mayor's Little Big Book Club: A successful initiative that has given away 4,000 free books to children.
• Beds for Baby Scheme: Continued support for families with young children, with over 500 direct deliveries of beds.
• Youth Climate Action Fund: Launched on 11 September, inviting youth-led organisations to apply for funding for their projects.
• Whitestone Public Meeting: Discussing the proposed solar farm development, with the Mayor maintaining the scheme is too large and in the wrong place.
• Leading the Way Celebrations: An event organised by the South Yorkshire Careers Hub, attended by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Chris Reid.

The Mayor also paid tribute to Tom Bousfield, Executive Director of Growth, Business and Skills, and Stephen Pleasant, for their significant contributions to South Yorkshire, noting their upcoming departures.

Delegated Authority Report

The Board noted the decisions and delegations made under the Officer Scheme of Delegation.