South Yorkshire towns reject government-backed proposals for Sheffield city region in favour of deal that could lead to mayor for whole county

People in Barnsley and Doncaster have voted in favour of a proposed devolution deal that would elect a mayor for the whole county of Yorkshire.

The results of what the two local authorities called “community polls” were announced on Thursday afternoon. Both south Yorkshire towns rejected a government-backed deal for the Sheffield city region in favour of a proposed deal for the whole county.

In Doncaster, 85% of voters (38,551) supported the proposals to devolve power to the whole of Yorkshire on a turnout of 20.1%, while 6,685 voted in favour of the Sheffield city region deal, with 234 spoiled ballot papers.

In Barnsley, 84.9% of those who voted (34,015) backed the wider Yorkshire deal on a turnout of 22.4%, while 6,064 voted for the Sheffield city region deal.

Ros Jones, the mayor of Doncaster, said the council had a “true mandate from our residents” to pursue a devolution deal for the whole of Yorkshire. “It is the will of the people, our business community and our elected politicians that Doncaster should be part of a wider Yorkshire devolution agreement,” she told councillors on Thursday.

The results are the latest in a long-running debate over devolution to the county of Yorkshire and its population of over 5 million people. In 2015, the government agreed plans to devolve powers over infrastructure investment, transport, skills and housing, plus £900m of funding over 30 years, to a group of local authorities termed the Sheffield city region.

Following challenges by Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire county councils, who described the agreement as a “land grab” by Sheffield, Bassetlaw and Chesterfield withdrew from the deal earlier this year.

Doncaster and Barnsley councils are among 15 Yorkshire local authorities to have given their backing to a “One Yorkshire” deal – put forward by politicians in Leeds – in which a directly elected mayor would oversee a combined authority for the whole region. The proposal has received cross-party support and backing from the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors and the TUC.

Sheffield and Rotherham are the only local authorities to give their full backing to the Sheffield city region deal.

The government has previously insisted it will not consider any whole-Yorkshire devolution plan that includes the councils already signed up to the Sheffield city region deal. But in a change of position, the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, wrote to civic leaders in South Yorkshire on Wednesday to suggest a compromise.

He put forward a two-stage solution in which south Yorkshire local authorities agree to go forward with plans to devolve powers to Sheffield city region and then look at joining a wider-Yorkshire deal later on. The government still plans to push ahead with elections for a metro mayor for the Sheffield city region next May, with or without the backing of Barnsley and Doncaster.

Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton, the leader of Barnsley council, called on the government to enter into discussions with the local authorities that were backing the One Yorkshire deal, and asked them not to impose a Sheffield city region mayor “against the will of the people”.

Responding to Javid’s letter, Ros Jones said both Barnsley and Doncaster were willing to consider interim solutions for the Sheffield city region, but that they were also “clear about the ultimate destination, which is for Doncaster to be part of a Yorkshire devolution agreement based on the widest possible geography”.

Asked why she thought a One Yorkshire agreement was better for Doncaster, she said: “We’ve come a long way since [the Sheffield city region deal in] 2015 and Brexit plays an important part in that. We’ve got to look internationally to bring in investment. Yorkshire is a brand that people can sell out there.”

She defended the cost of the polling, estimated at around £250,000 between the two local authorities. “These deals are going to last for 30-plus years,” she said. “We’re taking about our children’s future and our children’s children’s future. I think it’s right that we ask people what they think.”

Dan Jarvis, the MP for Barnsley Central, said the turnout was impressive given the time of year and the complexity of the subject. He said that Christmas would provide a “period for reflection” over which council leaders could consider how they would respond to Javid’s letter.

“This is massively important for Yorkshire, for the north of England and more generally for the way in which devolution happens across the whole country,” he said. “The notion that government should seek to impose a devolved settlement is a strange one and goes against the whole grain of devolution,” Jarvis added.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “We have always said we would welcome discussions on a widely supported greater Yorkshire devolution deal provided the Sheffield city region deal was not threatened. While we will not undo the Sheffield city region deal, which has been partly implemented and would bring around £1bn of new investment to the area, we have proposed to the four South Yorkshire leaders what we believe is a good way forward. We look forward to hearing the leaders’ response.”