Councils in the Sheffield region have taken their next step towards setting up a devolved combined authority - but warn that agreeing to an elected mayor is 'not a done deal'.
Sheffield City Region has sent the results of its consultation exercise to the Government showing that most residents, businesses and civic institutions who responded supported the proposals.
Cllr Sir Steve Houghton, chair of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, said the region was committed to the substantial devolution of powers and funding including £1.3bn investment.
But he warned: 'The elected mayor is not yet a done deal.
'We are seeking clarity from Government on whether this is still needed as there are still significant concerns around the mayoral model amongst a number of city region authorities.
'We won’t make the final decision to go ahead unless we are absolutely sure that this is best possible outcome for our residents and that there are no other options open to us.
'Any decision on the mayor and any election timetable is therefore subject to these considerations.'
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