Barnsley Council has become the first local authority in South Yorkshire to back the area’s devolution proposals.

Councillors formally ratified the Sheffield city-region devolution deal after considering feedback from a consultation exercise.

Leader Sir Steve Houghton said the greater local decision making brought by the deal would be ‘crucial in creating a brighter future and a better Barnsley’.

He added: ‘The deal will bring welcome investment into our borough; expanding our business parks and giving them the infrastructure they need to thrive; boosting our post-16 education and training offer helping to widen the opportunities for traineeships and apprenticeships, building skills from within the borough; supporting our residents to become homeowners by building more affordable homes; supporting our businesses to become more productive, widening their customer base making them more profitable and resilient for the future.

‘Every day, I see can see the exciting progress being made on our Better Barnsley town centre regeneration. Our new town centre will be vibrant, full of opportunity and potential. Having access to devolved funds will help us take the project to another level, driving further investment into the town.’

Doncaster and Rotherham councils are due to vote on the proposals this week.

Sir Nigel Knowles, chair of Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said: ‘I welcome Barnsley Council supporting the Sheffield city-region devolution deal. This deal will enable local leaders from the public and private sector to deliver our growth plan which will mean a stronger economy and more and better jobs for people in Sheffield city-region.’

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