News: Public funding set to be used to buy land for South Yorkshire Airport City project

South Yorkshire’s Mayor and leaders are set to approve a landmark deal to bring Doncaster Sheffield Airport and adjacent land into public ownership.

Rothbiz reported last year on a South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board (SYMCA) decision to reopen the airport when it approved a £160m (£159.52m) funding package.

However, during negotiations with landowners, Peel, it was found that clauses in a proposed lease would impact upon the viability of the project. Specifically a solution to a turnover rent clause that was satisfactory for all parties could not be found.

Discussions continued and a change in stance from Peel combined with the potential use of devolved powers led to talks over the freehold purchase of the airport site and the adjacent Gateway East development land.

The SYMCA board is now being asked to essentially use funding that was approved to pay for the lease of the land, to instead cover the borrowing costs for purchasing around 1,000 acres from Peel.

Papers explain that borrowing is profiled to be repaid over a thirty-year period compared to a 125-year lease, with public control of the land offering the opportunity to "achieve the strategic ambition by reinstating the airport whilst at the same time developing the Gateway East land."

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No figures have been made public yet and, whilst bosses say that acquisition borrowing can be largely matched to grant funding, they identify a risk that FlyDoncaster Ltd, the 100% Doncaster Council-owned private limited company running the operation, will need to generate the cashflows required to repay the credit facility extended to it by SYMCA.

Another major risk to the project remains a potential legal challenge from other regional airports regarding the use of public money.

South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “I’m delighted to say that subject to formal approval of the MCA Board next week and then Peel, we’ve agreed a deal that means we’re taking Doncaster Sheffield Airport and adjacent Innovation Quarter employment land into public ownership. This is a deal that puts the future of DSA back in our hands and finally gives one of the biggest and best growth opportunities in South Yorkshire the platform for long-term success that it needs and deserves.

“Four years ago, we were told that our airport would be closing. But alongside [Mayor of Doncaster] Ros Jones, I said I would do anything I could to save DSA, and I meant it.

“Which is why after months of negotiations and the growing flexibility afforded to us by the government’s devolution agenda, today we can announce that we have come to an agreement for SYMCA to buy the airport and Innovation Quarter employment land from Peel.

“Subject to the agreement of the MCA Board next week, the airport and surrounding Innovation Quarter employment land will be owned and controlled by us, for us; the people of South Yorkshire. This deal means our future will be in our own hands again.

“When the airport closed, almost everything was against us; the owners did not want to sell, we had no legal powers to intervene or stop the airport from closing, and no backing from the government at the time. Today, the future for DSA is bright, with the airport back in our hands, the sky’s the limit.”

Chancellor John Healey, who is also MP for or Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, added: "This is concrete proof of the benefits of shifting power out of Whitehall and into the hands of the people who best know their local economies: our mayors and local leaders.”

“Local and regional jobs, innovation, opportunities and hope for communities and families across South Yorkshire, including in Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, will all flow from the hard work, determination and partnership which has delivered this outcome.”

“This is precisely the good growth in every postcode that the Government has made its central mission.”

FlyDoncaster Ltd website

Images: FlyDoncaster Ltd

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News: £27.8 billion fund to support next wave of South Yorkshire growth projects

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has agreed to enter into a strategic partnership with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

The £27.8 billion fund was created by the Government to back regional growth and clean energy.

Four new partnerships have been annpunced that will give more areas direct access to the National Wealth Fund’s investment knowledge, expertise and capital, to help develop and grow project pipelines, attract public and private finance and deliver key infrastructure to support growth and create jobs.

Previous work between the NWF and partners has been to identify and develop investment opportunities in priority areas, including place-based regeneration, transport and clean energy infrastructure. Projects already receiving advisory guidance and support through these partnerships include Clyde Metro in Glasgow City Region, The Sports Quarter in the West Midlands, a new zero-emission bus fleet in Greater Manchester and Mass Transit in West Yorkshire.

The Strategic Partnerships model, provided through the NWF’s Regional Project Accelerator programme, demonstrates the value of deeper, longer-term partnerships with local leaders, bringing the Fund’s expertise together with local knowledge to support projects that can improve local infrastructure, open up development opportunities and help places attract investment. The Fund will continue to explore further opportunities to extend the Strategic Partnerships model to other Mayoral Strategic Authorities and City Regions over time, while continuing to focus support where it can make the greatest impact.

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Oliver Holbourn, CEO of the National Wealth Fund, said: “To unlock the UK’s future we need to grow regional economies. This announcement signals our continued commitment to expanding our partnerships with leaders across the UK, providing tailored support based on local needs and opportunities, creating jobs and spreading the lasting benefits of investment to the local communities they serve.”

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “South Yorkshire has always shaped, made and created the things Britain needs to grow and succeed. Today, from the UK’s first Investment Zone and our Don Valley Corridor plan, to being named one of the country’s tech ecosystem’s rising stars, we’re once again putting South Yorkshire at the forefront of Britain’s industrial future.

“With world-leading assets like the AMRC, Boeing and McLaren rooted here, our partnership with the National Wealth Fund will help us go further, faster - backing brilliant businesses, bringing in investment, and creating the industries, technologies and opportunities that will power growth here in South Yorkshire and across the whole country.”

The NWF is not new, because it has taken over many of the functions of the UK Infrastructure Bank. Investments so far have already mobilised over £16bn in private sector financing at the point of investment, leveraging £2.50 for every £1 deployed.

The Regional Project Accelerator also offers project advisory support, focused on a number of regionally significant projects across the UK, and lending - low cost, flexible lending, directly to local government at gilts +40bps, to support regionally significant projects.

National Wealth Fund website

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News: Rolls-Royce Rotherham investment is a statement of intent and a vote of confidence

Rolls-Royce has announced a landmark £300m investment in its manufacturing and engineering facilities across the UK.

It includes the previously announced investment in its facility in Rotherham.

Rothbiz revealed last year that the world-leading engineers were planning to invest in Rotherham and in March this year came the the confirmation of a £21.3m expansion project at the Advanced Blade Casting Facility (ABCF) on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce, said: "Our manufacturing facilities in the UK are home to the very best of British engineering talent. This £300 million investment is a clear statement of our intent. Rolls-Royce is committed to growing the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector and we are proud to be building infrastructure needed to power Britain's future.

“World-class facilities across the UK will ensure that Rolls-Royce remains a global leader in both commercial aviation and sovereign defence, while supporting thousands of highly skilled jobs both directly and through our supply chain.”

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John Healey MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, added: "This £300m investment by Rolls-Royce is a powerful vote of confidence in Britain's future and in the economic stability this Government is delivering.

“From Derby and Bristol to Rotherham, Glasgow and Warwickshire, it will back skilled jobs, strengthen our sovereign industrial capability, and help drive growth in communities across the United Kingdom.

“At a time of increasing global competition, Britain must be the best place in the world to invest, innovate and build. Today's announcement shows that confidence in our country is growing and that world-leading British firms are investing for the future.”

The £110m Rolls-Royce facility in Rotherham was officially opened in 2015 and is where turbine blades are manufactured for Rolls-Royce's world-leading aeroplane engines.

With a grant of £2m from from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), a total of £21.3m is funding an increase in the facility’s capability and productivity, doubling its output of advanced turbine blades – a critical component in jet engines – by 2030.

The investment programme also demonstrates Rolls-Royce’s long-term commitment to the UK, providing multi-year stability to the hundreds of domestic engineering partners, component manufacturers, and small-to-medium enterprises that provide the company with the parts and services it needs to deliver for customers. In 2025 alone, Rolls-Royce spent more than £2.8 billion with UK-based suppliers, with the vast majority spent with businesses located outside of London and the South East.

Rolls-Royce website

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News: More government cash for Rotherham Gateway Station

Further funding is set to come down the line to support the multimillion pound Rotherham Gateway Station regeneration scheme.

Housing schemes around the Parkgate site, and the wider Bassingthorpe development nearby, are set to benfit.

The board at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has signed off on its priorities for new government funding to support housing, regeneration and employment growth in priority urban locations.

South Yorkshire has been allocated £85m from the City Densification Fund, an £800m government funding programme launched in Spring 2026 to help regional mayors unlock stalled urban housing and commercial developments.

Sheffield Moorfoot, Sheffield Station Campus and Rotherham Gateway have been identified as the initial priorities for the cash.

Integrated with a new tram-train stop, the Rotherham Gateway Station at Parkgate would bring faster rail connections. A new mainline rail station at Forge Way would deliver faster links to Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and Doncaster, unlocking wider regional and national connectivity. The aim is for journey times to Leeds to be cut from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and to be 75 minutes to Birmingham.

With opening pencilled in for "late 2030," the four-phase masterplan for the £300m scheme sets out that it could bring 1,000 highly-skilled jobs and support more than £1bn of private investment.

A paper to the SYMCA board states: "Following engagement with local authorities, Homes England and other delivery partners, a programme of work has been undertaken to identify eligible investment opportunities. In line with Government guidance, the City Densification Fund is intended to support development within city centres and locations associated with Northern Powerhouse Rail investment where viability barriers are preventing delivery. Candidate schemes were assessed against an agreed framework covering strategic fit, deliverability, additionality, leverage and phasing.

"Further development, due diligence and business case work is required before individual funding commitments can be considered through SYMCA's assurance framework."

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The report also seeks board approval on utilising the £118m for the region from the National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF), a £21 billion fund that provides capital funding for infrastructure and land to support the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes.

A pipeline initially identified 184 sites with potential for 32,000 new homes but this has been refined to 15 proposed "mini programmes."

Rotherham schemes making the list include "Rotherham Gateway," "Rotherham Town Centre Sites & Bassingthorpe Farm" and an "Affordable Housing Programme" for the borough.

With the programme already starting in April 2026, Strategic Business Cases (SBCs) will now been drawn up before individual schemes in these areas can come forward for funding.

Rothbiz reported last year that two "catalyst sites" in Rotherham were identified to spearhead the government's historic £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme - Bassingthorpe Farm and Rotherham town centre. For South Yorkshire, an indicative spend, subject to suitable bids, was set out at £700m.

The Government recently updated national planning rules so that there is a default "yes" for homes within reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations, alongside new minimum expectations for how much housing should be built in these areas.

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News: New study reveals Rotherham's lack of jobs for young people

A stark new Local Youth Opportunity Index from IPPR reveals a six-fold divide in the availability of suitable jobs for young people depending on where they live.

Young people in Rotherham have just 46 vacancies for every 1,000 young adults, compared with 288 in the Cotswolds.

The issue of NEETs, an acronym for "Not in Education, Employment, or Training", has long been on the agenda in places like South Yorkshire.

IPPR is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society. Its latest analysis measures the number of suitable online vacancies relative to the number of 18 to 24-year olds in a local labour market and finds that there is around one suitable vacancy for every 22 young people in places like Rotherham, compared with one for every four young people in the Cotswolds.

Allthough it should be said that the link between Sheffield and Rotherham operating as one economy will mean that “suitable” vacancies looked at in the study ("occupations likely to offer entry-level opportunities, based on relatively low entry and experience requirements") outside of the borough will be accessible to Rotherham residents. For example, at Meadowhall. Sheffield still only ranked as tenth in the analysis with 60 suitable vacancies per 1,000.

National statistics centre on participation in education, training and NEET, age 16 to 17. The figure in Rotherham has been rising since 2019, when it stood at 195. It had hit 313 by 2023 before reducing to 289 in 2025.

The 2026 figure for NEETs aged 16 to 17 in Rotherham is the highest since 2019 at 342. At 5% of the 16 to 17 population, it marks a significantly poorer performance than comparator areas.

The charity says that the findings underline that becoming NEET is not simply a question of an individual's qualifications or willingness to look for work with young people facing an unemployment rate more than three times that of the wider workforce.

The authors warn the government that the employment-support system is failing to reach a large part of the population it is supposed to help. Jobcentre Plus is principally organised around people receiving Universal Credit, yet around half of young people who are NEET do not receive it. For those that do claim, the system remains too focused on compliance and work-search requirements.

A drop in the number of apprenticeships is also highlighted as having an impact on NEET figures.

Lord David Blunkett, former secretary of state for education and employment, said: "Young people have an immense amount to give. With national ambition, local leadership and the willingness to invest, we can ensure that birthplace does not determine a young person's future. We can renew the promise that should lie at the heart of any decent society: that no young person will be discarded, that the door to opportunity will remain open, and that everyone will have the chance to build a life of purpose."

Lord Jim Knight, former minister for employment and minister for schools, added: “IPPR's report dispels the myth that nearly a million young people are out of work because they lack aspiration. Young people in Rotherham are not six times less talented than those in the Cotswolds; they face six times fewer suitable vacancies."

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Rotherham's Employment and Skills Strategy 2026-2031 has a target for partners to reduce the number of 16–18-year-old and 18–24-year-old residents categorised as NEET and an action to create a "Joined Up and Tailored Provision for 16–24-year-olds."

Another action is for partners to develop targeted, person-centred interventions for young people at risk of becoming NEET. This includes "triaging and guidance; engaging schools, employers and parents/guardians; addressing barriers to work through 1-1 coaching and personalised support; and matching young people to opportunities for work and training."

Support focused on young people who are struggling in the labour market includes the council-funded Ambition project which supports young people to access employment, education or training, with half of these participants moving into the labour market.

The pioneering South Yorkshire approach of the Pathways to Work service works specifically with young people and through the Employment Solutions team in Rotherham, the Wage Subsidy Scheme supports employers to recruit young people with a paid job role for up to three months that is intended to lead to sustainable employment.

Another example is the traineeship programme linked to the Children’s Capital of Culture and Work Ready Placement Programmes specifically designed for NEETS.

Coordinated and accessible careers education in the borough is also highlighted as having an impact as pupils encountering employers are less likely to become NEET when they leave school.

National programmes include a Jobs Guarantee scheme and the Youth Jobs Grant and this week it was announced that a new scheme to offer 18-24-year-olds work experience is being developed with Britain’s biggest retailers. Young Futures Hubs and Youth Hubs are also being rolled out across the country but funding is yet to reach Rotherham.

Whilst Rotherham has seen large increases in productivity, and support may be there for young people, it is the lack of jobs that the analysis highlights.

The Rotherham Together Partnership has placed the economy at the forefront of its latest long term plan. It picks out that unlocking the full potential of Rotherham Gateway is a gamechanger, along with thriving town centres and growing a fair and thriving economy.

In addition, Rotherham is a key part of the Don Valley Corridor programme that has been given prominence as a growth area for South Yorkshire.

Henry Parkes, principal economist at IPPR, said: “Too much of the debate about youth unemployment starts from the assumption that the problem lies with the young person. Our local data shows just how wrong that is. There is a more than six-fold gap in the availability of suitable vacancies depending on where you live.

“You cannot solve a shortage of opportunity simply by asking young people to search harder. We need to create the first rung of the employment ladder in places where it is missing – and rebuild apprenticeships so that every sector is playing its part in giving the next generation a route into good work.”

IPPR website

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News: Speciality Steel UK nationalisation - what happens now?

The Government's work towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steel UK (SSUK) is expected to take between four and six months, but Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds wants it to be resolved as quickly as possible.

The Government took the step as it found that the private sector proposal from the preferred bidder "could not provide the long-term stability, certainty and value for money that workers, communities and taxpayers deserve."

Reynolds told the House of Commons: "That bidder subsequently requested Government support to make its purchase of Speciality Steel UK possible. However, following extensive engagement between the bidder and its advisers, and having done all the due diligence and given the case the consideration that taxpayers would expect, the Government have decided that they cannot provide support on the proposed terms."

He added that the Government had "serious concerns about the proposed financing of it."

The company’s sites support over 1,300 jobs in Rotherham, Stocksbridge, Brinsworth and Wednesbury.

The public acquisition move means that a liquidation process has been postponed, giving the state a strategic control over the future of a business that it believes has a unique place in the UK’s steel ecosystem due to its specialist steelmaking capabilities.

The government will work with local leaders, industry experts, private investors, workers and other partners to consider what is best for the strategically important locations. Taking between four and six months, the work will look at "future industrial use, regeneration opportunities and the role that specialist manufacturing capabilities could play in supporting growth and our national resilience."

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The future of speciality steel production will be high on the agenda and the assessment will include the consideration of products, customers and markets if the business is to be run profitably.

The Business Secretary explained: "The work we can now do will have to look at the capacities, the potential for new investment that might be required, the product lines, where the customers are and so forth.

"The key issue — I am not sure if this has ever been put on the record in Hansard before — is homologation. That is the assets of these sites and the accreditations they have for such a speciality set of products. Those assets are incredibly valuable. Not many parts of the world can produce to the standard that we are talking about. We now have a process — I want that to be as short as possible — where we can assess that."

Reynolds also discussed the potential costs involved - from running the business in public ownership, and from the remediation and regeneration of the sites. He said: "If this were a matter of public ownership, we would have to pay off the creditors, reach an accommodation with them, acquire the assets, and then inject some working capital over a period of between one and three years. I would expect the cost of that to be about £350 million, and I would expect something comparable were the option to be regeneration and remediation."

The government already has the powers following its previous work on British Steel in Scunthorpe. The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Act 2026 gives the government powers to bring critical steel manufacturing companies into public ownership when it is in the public interest.

Labour’s 2024 election manifesto pledged £2.5 billion to rebuild and modernise the UK steel industry, a commitment now being channelled through the National Wealth Fund. This is on top of £500m that was granted to Tata in Port Talbot under the previous Government.

The Business Secretary was also critical of the way the business was run as Liberty Steel. He told the house that the business only produced when the customer effectively supplied working capital. Reynolds called this "a highly irregular position, but one reflective of the opaque and byzantine financing arrangements under the previous owners. I believe the opportunity exists to operate a successful business in this space. There is nothing ideological about this; my ideal is for the business to be run in the private sector."

Many of the workers at SSUK have been furloughed and the plants have not been operating for several years.

Reynolds concluded: "I want to speak directly to the workers of Speciality Steel UK, who have been stuck on furlough, unable to do the jobs of which they are so rightly proud, through no fault of their own. I know that they feel ignored and let down by previous Governments, but as Business Secretary, I will not duck these difficult decisions, and neither will this Government. I will do all that I can to secure a bright future for you, your communities and your families."

Following the announcement, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that the government needs "to get on and nationalise the company.”

Images: SSUK

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News: Coppard on the charge as South Yorkshire mayor greenlights £2m for hundreds of e-bikes

People in South Yorkshire will be able to hire e-bikes and take them home as part of a first-of-its-kind scheme being launched by Mayor Oliver Coppard.

It comes at the same time as Rotherham Council scraps multimillion pound active travel schemes.

Other city-based schemes around the country generally see users booking bikes for short trips and needing to find suitable spots to drop them off. In South Yorkshire, the scheme, part of The People’s Network, involves e-bikes being made available as a long-term loan, for an affordable monthly price.

A £2m tender for e-bikes plus accessories (helmets, locks etc) is underway with a planned launch next spring.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “The idea at the heart of the South Yorkshire People’s Network is that transport should work for everyone in South Yorkshire, giving us all freedom and choice about how we travel and move.

“That’s why we’ve designed this pioneering new e-bike subscription service; because it’s not enough to simply build bike lanes and cycle networks, we need to give everyone the chance to use them.

“So, from next spring, people across South Yorkshire will be able to hire a new e-bike on a long-term loan, for an affordable monthly price. That’s potentially game changing for anyone who wants to make different travel choices but has been priced out up to now.

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“I’m proud to say we’re the first place in the country to develop this type of scheme, but I know we won’t be the last. South Yorkshire is leading the way again, putting the public back in public transport.”

Backed by initial investment of £1.3m from SYMCA, the £2m tender allows further procurement should the project succeed. 275 e-bikes are now out for procurement,

The scheme has been shaped by research showing how e-bikes can help people travel further and make everyday journeys easier, and data from the short-term loan schemes operating in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

With transport costs continuing to put pressure on households, the scheme’s flexible, first-of-its-kind tiered pricing model will help make sure cost does not put the brakes on opportunity.

It forms a key part of South Yorkshire’s Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy, supporting plans to make walking, wheeling and cycling more realistic, accessible options for more people.

In Rotherham, the Journey Matters project already loan out both pedal bikes and electric bikes for free to the people of Rotherham for between one and three months. SYMCA rejected allocating capital to local authorities to deliver local e-cycle subscription services stating that "it would impact our ability to brand as a SYMCA proposition."

Following Rotherham Council carrying out a number of high profile, multimillion pound cycle lane schemes, Rothbiz reported recently that a £10.7m cycle lane and roundabout scheme proposed for Stag Roundabout and Wickersley / Broom Road would not go ahead. A £7.6m scheme to support active travel for pedestrians and cyclists and improve traffic flows at a Templeborough roundabout has also been stopped in its tracks.

This issue of cycle lanes was discussed at a recent full council meeting with a petition presented by opposition councillors, and backed by 3,600 signatures, calling for a review of CRSTS Active Travel schemes, a reallocation of funding to focus on road safety, and a review of the council's Active Travel Strategy.

Journey Matter website

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News: Council u-turn as Rotherham cycle lane scheme scrapped

A multimillion pound active travel scheme in Rotherham will not now go ahead, the leader of the council has confirmed.

Rothbiz has previously reported on a £16.5m scheme that includes bike lanes, bus lanes and a built up roundabout at Eastwood, on the edge of Rotherham town centre. A similar £10.7m cycle lane and roundabout scheme is proposed for Stag Roundabout and Wickersley / Broom Road.

The schemes follow on from the £6.4m Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor schemes and the £3.6m Broom Road Cycleways scheme.

After another period of consultation, Rotherham Labour Councillors have now said that the scheme designed for the Broom Road / Wickersley Road proposed Extension Corridor has been scrapped.

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Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "We said at the last council elections that we would only proceed with those schemes where they had the support of the communities most affected and that's why those consultations are really important and we really appreciate your feedback.

"And we've had two different sets of feedback. So for the Broom Road / Moorgate scheme ... residents told us that they didn't support any of the proposals that we were putting forward. The cycle lane, the road crossings or any of the road safety measures.

"So I want to be really clear that when the council brings forward proposals for that we will not be taking forward any of those proposals.

"On the other scheme on Fitzwilliam Road we got broad support from the community for those proposals and when we looked at that more closely there were particular parts of that in some of those side streets, some of the measures to deal with parking, some of the things to do with helping people to cross the road that got more support.

"So we've tasked council staff with looking at that feedback to look at the look at what could be the best scheme that we could take forward in the Fitzwilliam Road area where we keep the benefits of those things for pedestrians in particular but also for parking, and where we might take out those cycle lanes if we don't need to take that forward."

The Eastwood scheme centres on St Ann's Roundabout and replacing the subways with signalised crossings. New street level pedestrian and cycle routes would then be created with new traffic lights with cyclist and pedestrian crossings.

On Fitzwilliam Road, new cycle lanes would be created all the way from St Ann's Roundabout to the fire station. A new bus lane would also be created on the approach to the roundabout.

The scheme is also expected to link to the Rotherham Gateway mainline station at Parkgate.

At Stag Roundabout, segregated cycle routes and controlled crossing facilities would have been introduced on each arm of the roundabout, replacing the current zebra crossings.

The council was considering a number of options for the roads such as a cycle lane to be shared by bikes and buses which would split on the approach to Stag Roundabout. A second option was for a separate bus lane and a separate cycle lane along Wickersley Road, from the junction with Middle Lane South to Stag Roundabout. The third proposal would only introduce a cycle lane, with no bus lane.

For the second option, some trees would need to be removed.

Neighbourhood streets were set for investment in this area too, including Broom Lane where a zebra crossing close to Sitwell school was proposed to be replaced by a controlled traffic signal crossing.

The majority of funding for the latest schemes is coming from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) through the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a government funding stream.

Rotherham Council website

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News: £5m backing would bring world leading fusion technology test rigs to Rotherham

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is weighing up support for the acceleration of high priority test rig capabilities within an existing Fusion Energy Technology Centre in Rotherham.

The £5m investment would help create up to 25 jobs and four apprenticeships by the end of 2027.

UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which has a mission to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise scientific and economic benefit, opened a £22m facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in 2021. Now renamed UKAEA South Yorkshire, the facility has expanded operations and deepened industry collaborations on advanced engineering projects, strengthening UKAEA's regional presence in materials, components and robotics testing.

The next investment from the government research organisation, previously codenamed Project Caerus, would involve two rigs (experimental facilities).

A High Heat Flux (HHF) Laser Facility (HALO) enables researchers to expose materials and components to extreme thermal loads similar to those found in fusion environments and to rapidly cycle these loads. This capability underpins critical research into materials resilience and fatigue, as well as structural integrity which is essential for designing future fusion reactors.

The new rig should also support high-performance industries such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and next generation materials engineering, where understanding heat stress and failure modes is essential for innovation.

The second test rig is called Fusion Oriented Robotics Technology (FORT) - the first Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) rig located at the Rotherham facility, making it a significant milestone for the region.

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UKAEA’s work spans materials, technology and engineering research. Their robotics division specialises in remote handling in extreme industrial environments. The new addition to the AMP facility is expected to attract specialist engineering, controls, software, and mechatronics expertise into South Yorkshire.

Much like HALO, other industries are also set to benefit such as those that use precision manufacturing, autonomous systems, and complex industrial operations, where remote manipulation and inspection have high economic value.

An update from the UKAEA said: "Together, these rigs represent a strategic, future-facing investment that supports scientific progress, economic benefit, strengthens regional competitiveness, and increases the UK’s ability to develop and export high-value technologies. This investment will contribute both to UKAEA’s national mission and UKAEA South Yorkshire’s economic ambitions."

The site’s expanded role aims to attract other UKAEA directorates to base teams in the region, leveraging the strong local talent pool, and deepening UKAEA’s presence in the north of England.

Professor Dennis Whyte has recently been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of UKAEA Group which has 2,600 people across four sites - over 60 are based in Rotherham.

Prof. Whyte said: "I am excited to be joining the exceptional team at UKAEA, which has a compelling plan for delivering commercial fusion energy, developing key technologies for fusion energy extraction, and the largest workforce in the world committed to advancing the development of fusion science and engineering in its widest forms."

UKAEA website

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News: Funding boost for £4m AMRC scale-up programme

A £4m project intended to support the development of knowledge and innovation-rich start-ups, spinouts and future scale-up businesses in South Yorkshire, has secured a £2m grant.

Earlier this year, the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) launched AMRC Scale-up, a programme designed to help high-growth deep tech companies scale manufacturing in defence, aerospace and energy. This followed on from FerretWorks - a Yorkshire slant on SkunkWorks - with the approach at the AMRC formed to incubate high risk/high reward ideas.

The AMRC has grown to become a world leader in manufacturing excellence, part of the national High Value Manufacturing Catapult network of research centres. With facilities in Rotherham and Sheffield it has more than 500 highly qualified researchers and engineers working on the manufacturing needs of the future, from composites to castings, additive manufacturing to machining.

The board at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has now approved a £2m grant to build on the 2025/26 pilot year.

Using a total of £4m over the next four years, the project is primarily a revenue-funded business support / innovation programme, delivered through AMRC facilities and partner commercialisation routes. It will operate though FerretWorks and AMRC Start-Up, expanding The AMRC’s reach to support both university-led ventures and external founders, positioning AMRC as a central hub for manufacturing innovation and entrepreneurship.

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A SYMCA paper explains: "The programme builds on the success of the SYMCA-funded FerretWorks Start-Up pilot, creating a structured pathway to accelerate innovation, commercialisation, and business growth across South Yorkshire. It provides specialist manufacturing support to ventures emerging from the University of Sheffield Commercialisation Journey, while also attracting high-quality external entrepreneurs through strategic partnerships with organisations such as the Royal Academy of Engineering and Sheffield Technology Parks."

The programme aims to increase IP generation and commercialisation outcomes, attract and retain high-quality founders in South Yorkshire, strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem, support the creation of sustainable, high-growth businesses, and enhance collaboration between academia, industry, and external partners.

The report adds: "Ultimately, the programme will act as a feeder for the next generation of scale-up companies, driving long-term economic growth and delivering tangible societal benefit across the region."

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council and deputy mayor for South Yorkshire, said: "This bit about how you move from big scale academic activity into wealth-producing, growth-driving, start-up activity is incredibly important, and generally not cracked across the country. It seems to me to be the right sort of space that we [SYMCA] should be in to try and mitigate some of those risks and create those pathways and make that normal behaviour for people.

"We have got this great asset in The AMRC, and being able to maximise the commercial opportunities coming out of that seems to particularly important, so I welcome the scheme."

AMRC website

Images: AMRC

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News: OnDemand bus service aims to reconnect Rotherham

Residents of parts of Rotherham with limited access to scheduled bus services are being targeted by a new flexible public transport service to connect them to employment, education, healthcare, and retail.

Rothbiz reported last year that South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) was looking to launch a pilot project around demand responsive transport as part of its work to address connectivity issues across the region following the Mayor’s decision to take control of the buses.

Using £0.95m from the government's Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), SYMCA has appointed technology partner Via for the pilot that will begin operating from 3 August for 12 months across parts of Doncaster and Rotherham. 

The service introduces a new way of travelling, allowing passengers to book shared bus journeys through the OnDemand app up to one week in advance or by phone, with no fixed routes or timetables. 

Designed to improve connections in areas where traditional services are limited, OnDemand will help people access jobs, education, healthcare and key destinations across the region. Unlike conventional bus routes, OnDemand uses intelligent technology to group passengers travelling in the same direction, offering a flexible, efficient and affordable service. 

Fares will start from £3 per journey, with concessions and discounts available, and the service will run Monday to Saturday between 5am and 6pm.  Importantly, the new service has been designed to complement not replace the existing public transport network, helping more people connect to buses, trams and trains across South Yorkshire.  

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South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “The People’s Network will put people first, making sure everyone in South Yorkshire can get where they need to go, when they need to get there. OnDemand in Doncaster and Rotherham brings that idea to life, with a flexible, modern service built around our everyday lives, not fixed routes or timetables. 

“Whether it’s getting to work, visiting loved ones, making an appointment or accessing education, communities in Doncaster and Rotherham will have more choice and greater control over how to travel. OnDemand is another important step towards building a public transport system that truly works for everyone – the People’s Network.” 

The Rotherham areas included in the OnDemand area are Waverley, Ulley, Morthern, Thurcroft, Brookhouse, Dinnington, Firbeck, Letwell, Todwick, Woodsetts, Thorpe Salvin and Harthill.

Users can travel within the designated operating zone. but for those travelling beyond the zone, OnDemand can connect passengers to designated interchange hubs (Dinnington, Rotherham Hospital, Rotherham town centre, Crystal Peaks) for onward travel using buses, trams or rail services.

Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said:  “It’s great to see this pilot becoming a reality. We know that as bus services have reduced in recent decades, the impact of that has been particularly felt in more rural areas. The way that public transport operates had got to change. That’s why we wanted to prioritise this opportunity for communities to the south of our borough, complementing and enhancing existing public transport, but also offering a flexibility that traditional bus services just can’t provide. 

“So if you’re at home in Todwick or Brookhouse, for example, and you need to get to the Tanyard, Rotherham Hospital or Meadowhall and back, this service provides a new convenient way to do that. I hope that people will give it a go, and their experiences will certainly help us to shape the future of public transport in the borough.” 

OnDemand South Yorkshire website

Images: Via

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News: Priority projects for Rotherham Gateway regeneration scheme

Rotherham Council is using a twin track approach to progress key projects in the first phase of the masterplan for the proposed new mainline station in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported on the 20-year masterplan for Rotherham Gateway last year which showed how a transport improvement scheme can act as the catalyst for a much wider £300m regeneration project supporting thousands of new jobs.

Integrated with a new tram-train stop, the station would bring faster rail connections. A new mainline rail station at Forge Way would deliver faster links to Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and Doncaster, unlocking wider regional and national connectivity. The aim is for journey times to Leeds to be cut from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and to be 75 minutes to Birmingham.

Station opening has been pencilled in for "late 2030" with the four-phase masterplan showing two platforms, with passive provision for four, to support future growth.

A phased approach starts with the Station Quarter, on land which is currently Northfields Business Park, which features the mainline station, tram-train station, public realm, car parking, northern access via new bridges, and the station anchor building - essentially covering the development of the station core area.

Outside the core area, an active travel route along Effingham Street will connect the town centre to the station as Phase 1a.

A Rotherham Council report states: "To maintain momentum and ensure the alignment of phase 1 schemes, the Council proposed utilising Gainshare funding. This will fund the three priority workstreams, plus resource capacity."

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Gainshare funding refers to the money committed to South Yorkshire through the Devolution Deal agreed by the Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), South Yorkshire local authorities and government.

The development of the three priority projects will cost over £2m.

£400,000 is being used to develop the outline designs for the space surrounding the station. The plans "will ensure the Station area is a welcoming transit interchange with good design and high-quality public realm that will create a ‘sense of place’ and act as a gateway into Rotherham."

£624,000 is set aside for work on the Innovation Gateway Anchor Building. A council report states: "This should be a high-quality, flagship building of architectural merit with an anchor tenant to act as a gateway into Rotherham. It would also be an anchor building for the Innovation Campus and incorporate the required station facilities into the ground floor."

£1.03m is for the full design of an Effingham Street Masterplan and Active Travel Route. A comprehensive scheme has been proposed that would incorporate a new cycle / footbridge, landscape improvements, Active Travel provision, and improved pedestrian crossings. A 20 minute walk from the town centre, the plan is to complement the tram-train stop at the new station site and enable commuters to connect quickly and easily into the town centre.

Recruitment recently got underway for the project team including a Land Acquisition Project Manager, a Rail Project Manager and a Station & Public Realm Project Manager. Further consultants are set to be appointed with timetables showing that project design work on the early phases will continue to December 2027.

The work is to support and compliment the Full Business Case which has already secured £11.38m via SYMCA for its development. £10m was previously secured for land acquisition.

Further phases of the masterplan involve the creation of an innovation campus on plots of land near the station, and the introduction of new housing in the area.

Rotherham Gateway station website

Images: RMBC

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News: Supporting female founders in South Yorkshire

The first cohort of female founders of tech businesses from South Yorkshire are benefiting from dedicated support to help them start, grow and scale.

TECH SY, a programme funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to grow the region’s tech ecosystem, has developed a new initiative called The FoundHERy.

With funding from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the British Business Bank, the launch follows a report that tells us that female-founded businesses outperform, generating twice the revenue per £1 invested, showing stronger valuations and faster growth. In six years, the estimated valuation of female-led companies has increased to £198m. Female founders also say that community, visibility and connection remain central to their journey — but barriers like funding access and systemic inequity persist.

FoundHERy is a pilot programme aimed at female tech founders at start-up, early growth and scaling stages. The programme comprises an eight-week intensive support period, a curated mission to London Tech Week, one to one support, group accountability calls, bespoke support to address a core challenge, connectivity with investors and a final pitch event with investors.

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Tracey Johnson, Project Director for TECH SY, said: “South Yorkshire has a strong and growing community of women building ambitious tech businesses, but we know there is more we can do to support them to scale. The FoundHERy is a practical response to that challenge, providing targeted support, stronger networks and the confidence founders need at key moments in their journey.

“It also marks an important first step in a broader commitment to strengthen support for women in tech and investment across the region, helping to build a more inclusive and investable ecosystem where talent from South Yorkshire can thrive.”

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard added: “South Yorkshire has everything it takes to be one of the UK’s leading places for innovation - but we know we won’t reach our full potential unless everyone has the chance to succeed.

“Female founders across our region are already building brilliant tech businesses, but too often they don’t get the same access to investment, networks or opportunities as men. That’s not just unfair - it holds our whole economy back.

“The FoundHERy is about changing that dynamic. It’s about backing talented founders, opening doors, and making sure South Yorkshire is a place where anyone with a good idea and the drive to succeed can build a great business. That’s how we create good jobs, grow our economy, and build a stronger, more equal region for everyone.”

The first cohort brings together female founders and co-founders from across South Yorkshire working at the forefront of tech, spanning robotics, quantum sensing, software and data platforms, biotechnology and digital health solutions.

Tracey Johnson,added: “This cohort is packed with expertise and knowledge spread across a diverse set of sectors and skills. From quantum, to robotics, to medtech and everything in between, we’re proud to have them on board the FoundHERy.”

TECH SY website

Images: TECH SY

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News: Idea validation support for tech founders in South Yorkshire reopens

Rotherham tech firms are being offered support to validate their innovative ideas through the continuation of an incentive programme designed to boost the region’s startups.

Rothbiz reported last year on the support coming from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) funded TECH SY project, which has been offering either financial grants or support from a specialist consultancy to promising startups in South Yorkshire as part of the wider aim to help scale up the tech ecosystem.

The Idea Validation Grant previously provided up to £2,500 of direct financial support, OR up to £5,000 worth of idea validation support.

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After strong demand saw the previous programme close early, early‑stage tech founders and businesses in South Yorkshire can now apply for provider‑led validation support worth £3,000. The support is designed to help founders test ideas properly – exploring market demand, feasibility and next steps – before making major time or financial commitments.

Experts at Trove will deliver the idea validation support, benefiting from their experience as founders starting, scaling and exiting a tech business, and their knowledge of the investment landscape. They have adapted their 90-day iMVP programme to bring structure to this 1-2-1 support, with workshops and biweekly meetings.

The model has been refreshed and is particularly suited to part‑time founders and side hustles, though full‑time founders at an early stage are also eligible. The programme aims to support around 10–12 founders, depending on the level of support allocated to each project. Places are limited, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the programme may close early once funds are allocated.

The support includes initial work including discovery, roadmap and review workshops, 6+ hours of mentoring, and reporting and validation scoring.

TECH SY website

Images: UnSplash / Headway

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News: Capital&Centric timetabled to talk up Rotherham regeneration

The managing director of social impact developer Capital&Centric is set to share a stage with officials from Rotherham next week at the UK’s leading forum for real estate, investment and infrastructure.

Although it has not been announced why, the appearance suggests that the Manchester company is in line to take forward more development opportunities in the region.

Capital&Centric specialises in unlocking and transforming "unloved" brownfield sites into vibrant, design-led neighborhoods. It is currently working on £2bn of development across commercial, residential, hotel and leisure sectors. In neighbouring Sheffield it has secured millions to progress plans at the Cannon Brewery site.

John Moffat, joint managing director of Capital&Centric is due to take part in a panel at UKREiiF – The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum, which is entitled: "Next Stop Rotherham - The Gateway To The Future."

Moffat is set to join John Edwards, chief executive at Rotherham Council, Katharine Hammond, chief executive of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), to discuss how Rotherham is delivering an ambitious growth agenda, uniting major regeneration with world-leading innovation at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Property professionals, investors, developers and senior decision-makers are set to discover "how Rotherham is helping shape Northern Powerhouse Rail and South Yorkshire’s future - creating a national transport hub, accelerating housing delivery, and unlocking prime opportunities for investment."

A 20-year masterplan for Rotherham Gateway Station at Parkgate shows how a transport improvement scheme can act as the catalyst for a much wider regeneration project supporting thousands of new jobs.

Rotherham Gateway will reconnect the town to the mainline rail network for the first time since the 1980s, delivering faster connections to major cities including Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham, while unlocking new regional and national routes.

Representing a long-term investment in Rotherham’s future, the £300m project is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs locally, with a further 8,000 across the wider South Yorkshire Investment Zone - delivering an economic uplift of over £100m through new employment opportunities.

The project is a key part of SYMCA's portfolio for UKREiiF. The mayoral authority describes it as having "the potential to offer the most significant growth and regeneration opportunity across the North of England.

"A new main line rail station with tram-train stop situated within the heart of a new advanced manufacturing innovation campus, and in an area of housing growth, will ensure rapid and reliable connectivity to regional and national economies, providing ease of access outside the Borough."

Investors and developer interest is being sought to deliver the necessary infrastructure for a new Station Anchor Building and Innovation Campus.

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Investors and developers are also being courted to take on the opportunity for around 400 new homes adjacent to a new mainline station. Rotherham Council offers the opportunity to acquire land and de-risk investment while seeking developer and investor interest in the creation of a new residential led community.

The station is also being positioned as the scheme that unlocks the wider Bassingthorpe development nearby - a proposed 2,000 home development on former greenbelt land. Rotherham Council recently approved the appointment of a specialist consultant to provide commercial advice for the scheme in order to "progress the delivery of a residential development scheme on the strategic allocation site of Bassingthorpe Farm jointly with the majority landowner."

Rothbiz reported last month that following the announcement on Rotherham Gateway being in the first phase of Nothern Powerhouse Rail, a developer signed an agreement to start investment.

Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has also been active in relation to Rotherham Gateway, entering into a £70,000 contract for a feasibility study.

Homes England has also been looking to appoint a solicitor to act on its behalf on "entering into an Investments Loan Agreement with a borrower where providing finance for residential development in Rotherham."

Homes England recently entered a strategic joint venture with Swiss Life Asset Managers and Capital&Centric to deliver more than 2,250 homes in underinvested areas in England.

In March, Rothbiz reported that Rotherham Council was appointing a private sector developer for the next phase of large scale house-building in the town centre.

The "Strategic Sites" programme "aims to bring forward high-quality mixed-use development across the Council’s strategic town centre sites, creating a new community supported by integrated services, leisure uses and commercial opportunities. Its objectives include securing a long term positive legacy for the town centre, accelerating progress on complex brownfield sites, attracting credible private sector partners, and addressing viability challenges in a low value market through targeted public sector intervention."

Rotherham Gateway Station website
Capital&Centric website

Images: RMBC / Capital&Centric

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News: Further funding for new houses on brownfield land in Rotherham

More than 3,700 new high-quality homes are being built on brownfield land across South Yorkshire, thanks to £65m from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s (SYMCA) Brownfield Housing Fund (BHF).

After six years of operation, the fund is supporting 45 developments - unlocking land, funding infrastructure, accelerating construction, and enabling homes that simply wouldn’t have been built without SYMCA’s backing.

The fund has a focus on supporting work including early infrastructure, site clearance, decontamination and installation of the necessary utilities – and has included the building of more than 700 social and affordable homes.

In Rotherham, the most recent awards included £640,000 for the redevelopment of the former Fosters Garden Centre site in Thrybergh. Approved plans from Avant Homes incorporates the erection of 25 dwellings with the conversion of the former agricultural buildings and listed building into an additional seven dwellings in a town house arrangement.

At Waverley in Rotherham, Yorkshire's largest brownfield development, £1.55m was awarded for one of the last remaining plots. Brought forward by Strata, the £8.44m project involves 177 dwellings on a plot of land known as Plot 4 or Waverley Railside.

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South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “We know we need more homes to offer the strong foundations our families and communities deserve across South Yorkshire.

“Through our Brownfield Housing Fund we’re creating thousands of better homes. I want developments that attract investment, create spaces for new businesses and offer more affordable housing – and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

“Transforming derelict sites and bringing buildings that reflect our heritage back into use opens up new opportunities to unleash our communities’ full potential.

“We’re rebuilding the pride, purpose and prosperity of South Yorkshire -making sure thousands more people can get on the property ladder, so even more can stay near and go far.”

Environmentally friendly homes have been at the heart of the BHF to help reduce energy bills and minimise negative environmental impacts, with 2,400 of the homes having solar panels and 1,400 homes having heat pumps installed.

Nine schemes of around 1,000 homes also have Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems to help reduce the impacts of surface water flooding, with other schemes adopting more traditional drainage schemes to reduce flood risk.

SYMCA has recently secured a further £118m from April this year from the National Housing Development Fund, to continue supporting the development of new housing across South Yorkshire.

SYMCA website

Images: Avant

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News: Sheffield and Rotherham Councils set to commit £800,000 to Don Valley Corridor

Sheffield and Rotherham Councils are both committing £400,000 each towards the development of a flagship place-based regeneration programme for South Yorkshire based around the Don Valley Corridor.

Rothbiz reported first last month that the region's first Mayoral Development Zone (MDZ) is proposed for a unified corridor for innovation, industry and neighbourhood renewal stretching from Sheffield city centre to the site of the proposed Rotherham Gateway Station.

Bringing together the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) with Rotherham Council and Sheffield Council "creates a single front door for Government, agencies and private markets."

Cabinet approval has been secured in Rotherham for the council to commit £400,000 of its Gainshare revenue allocation for the scheme and Sheffield Council is expected to match Rotherham's £400,000.

Gainshare funding refers to the money committed to South Yorkshire through the Devolution Deal agreed by the MCA, South Yorkshire local authorities and government.

The money will go "toward programme resourcing and feasibility work for priority projects for the first three years of the programme."

Linked to the South Yorkshire Investment Zone, the programme will address transport issues (including the proposed new mainline and tram train stop at Parkgate), flood resilience and brownfield land which has been held back by contamination, low land values and viability constraints.

Investment Zone status provides South Yorkshire with up to £160m over ten years which can be used to offer investors, developers and start-ups a combination of targeted support and financial interventions to start, scale up and relocate their businesses.

Rotherham Council has already begun recruiting for a Don Valley Corridor Service Manager, who is expected to head up a new team delivering both the Don Valley Corridor partnership and Rotherham Gateway.

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Rothbiz has previously set out the Rotherham schemes that will fall under the Don Valley Corridor, including the new mainline station, further industrial space at Templeborough and new housing at Bassingthorpe and in the town centre.

Headline figures are that, through coordinated development, the 30 year transformation will enable over 18,000 jobs and 10,500 new homes with a £1.3bn uplift in GVA.

SYMCA papers set out that the authorities will use its existing statutory powers, "in particular, its strategic economic development powers and regeneration powers, its own resources and relationships with government, infrastructure providers and the private sector, as part of an integrated place-based programme. This will provide confidence both to the market, government and the wider public sector."

The paper adds that "there is shared commitment between SYMCA, RMBC and SCC to resource the programme collectively as a shared endeavour, including programme development capacity."

A Rotherham Council paper calls it "a nationally significant regeneration programme with a dedicated governance structure, programme leadership, and a coordinated approach to funding, delivery, and investment. Without coordination, opportunities scatter across isolated projects. With it, investors see credibility, residents see genuine opportunity, and places see sustained improvement rather than episodic development."

External funding is set to come from gainshare and other devolved funding pots, including funds that support renewal, housing and infrastructure. Nationally, the programme will be positioned to engage with institutions such as Homes England and the National Wealth Fund.

The Government has already committed to providing the South Yorkshire Mayor with access to "£85m new money to support jobs and development, including in the Don Valley Corridor and Sheffield Innovation spine."

The Government's recently announced £2.3bn City Investment Fund will bring together different types of finance, deployed flexibly to accelerate projects, expand city-centre housing and office markets, and support major regeneration schemes across the North. It is expected to be used in "developing projects in the Don Valley Corridor, Sheffield city centre Innovation Spine, and Rotherham Town Centre."

A Rotherham Council paper adds: "SYMCA are currently identifying potential funding partners and exploring potential co-investment models. This approach is intended to raise the profile of Don Valley Corridor onto a national stage to leverage both public and private funding, maximising the impact and reach of the regional investment through Gainshare funding."

Don Valley Corridor website

Images: RMBC / SYMCA

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News: South Yorkshire set to receive £1.3 billion

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has agreed a set of outcomes with Government to be delivered using £1.3 billion in devolved funding.

Called the integrated settlement, the funding backs a government strategy that provides local areas with a mandate "to act strategically to drive growth as well as support the shaping of public services, where strategic level coordination adds value."

The funding covers key themes such as economic development and regeneration, skills, transport and local infrastructure, and housing and strategic planning. It provides the combined authority with a much greater degree of certainty over medium term financial planning. SYMCA will also receive unprecedented powers of funding flexibility, which means that it will be able to move money between pillars as required to help achieve outcomes.

Developed alongside the new South Yorkshire Strategy and a Local Growth Plan, officials in the region have also developed an Integrated Settlement Outcomes Framework (ISOF) - a list of outcomes, indicators and targets that align with the wider ambitions set out in the strategy and growth plan.

The framework states: "SYMCA exists to deliver inclusive, sustainable growth that improves the lives of people across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. Our vision is to build a bigger and better economy, ensuring that all communities can share in our prosperity.

"Our ambitions are set out in the emerging South Yorkshire Strategy, which provides the overarching direction for our work. Everything we do is intended to help deliver its three ambitions:
1. Every resident can stay near and go far
2. South Yorkshire is the healthiest region in the country
3. Every community is connected and proud of its place."

With the £1.3 billion budgeted for the next four years, SYMCA has headline aims to support hundreds more businesses and create hundreds more jobs.

For example, the funding will be used on initiatives that help 400 businesses to increase productivity with 400 jobs created in local priority sectors. SYMCA interventions within the Investment Zone are also targeted to unlock further commercial floorspace.

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On transport, where SYMCA is leading on multimillion pound bus franchising plans, targets have been agreed for two million more bus passengers and one million more tram passengers per year, as well as increases in passenger satisfaction levels.

Increasing the number of government-subsidised EV charging devices and the number of miles on the region's active travel network are also included.

Adult skills is another key area for investment, with SYMCA backed schemes targeting more than 27,000 achievements at a level 1 qualification and 29,000 at level 2. The target for level 3 is 2,700 by March 2029.

Supporting people into employment will also continue to be funded. Here, 9,632 is the target for the number of starts on supported employment programmes.

For housing, where previous schemes have supported new housing on brownfield land, the target is 800 new homes starting on site over the next four years.

A SYMCA report explains: "The Integrated Settlement represents the most significant change in SYMCA’s funding environment since its inception in 2014, moving us away from a fragmented funding structure to a more consolidated and flexible one.

"The process of agreeing outcomes, indicators and targets required us to balance local and central government ambitions and ensure that the targets are achievable with the funds available through Integrated Settlement.

"The outcomes, indicators and targets agreed in the ISOF do not represent everything we care about in South Yorkshire. The activity represented in the ISOF reflects the funding streams included in Integrated Settlement. The South Yorkshire Strategy will provide the opportunity to represent the region’s broader ambitions."

SYMCA is set to be held to account through six-monthly programme boards with Government but there is provision for renegotiating targets, by exception, in the event that delivery against targets is not on track.

The integrated settlement brings together large funding pots, such as Transport for City Regions, Adult Skills Fund, National Housing Delivery Fund, Local Growth Fund, and Investment Zone funding.

SYMCA website

Images: SYMCA

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News: £50m growth deal to help South Yorkshire build the technologies and innovations of the future

A new £50m South Yorkshire Defence Growth Deal is expected to be operational by the end of Summer 2026.

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, was in Rotherham this week, seven months after the deal was launched.

The Defence Industrial Strategy set out how government spending on defence can benefit local economies, from highly skilled engineering positions to apprenticeships for young people starting their careers.

Initial analysis indicates there could be an additional demand of up to 50,000 defence jobs by 2034/35 with increases in defence spending. Defence Growth Deals will play an important role in capitalising on that skilled employment potential for communities across the UK.

South Yorkshire is one of five deals that will be backed by a total of £250m of defence spending over the next five years.

The Defence Minister discussed the deal with industry at the University of Sheffield on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, and its aim to help defence companies and boost skills by expanding cutting-edge defence research in South Yorkshire.

The targeted funding will catalyse growth across the region by boosting innovative R&D capacity and reinforcing the supply chains that defence companies need to equip our Armed Forces.

South Yorkshire is identified as a key hub for the development and engineering of high integrity, precision materials for the defence sector, including at MOD-owned Sheffield Forgemasters.

The region is also home to the University of Sheffield’s world-leading Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) which has multimillion pound facilities on the AMP in Rotherham. A growing defence cluster is being bolstered by BAE Systems new artillery factory in Sheffield with Rotherham companies including MTL Advanced and Magtec already supplying the defence sector.

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Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: This £50m investment will mean South Yorkshire’s superb defence companies can develop innovative new technology, helping strengthen our Armed Forces and keep Britain safe in this new era of threat.

With government, industry and academia – such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre – working hand in hand we are making sure this support is really targeted where it will have the biggest impact.

Through this Defence Growth Deal our government is backing British, and backing South Yorkshire. We’re harnessing the proud industrial base in this area to make defence an engine for growth, delivering new jobs and skills for local people.

The discussion included establishing a South Yorkshire Defence Board, deepening collaboration between the government, South Yorkshire’s mayoral authority, industry and academia, working hand-in-hand on making the Growth Deal as effective as possible while attracting long-term public and private investment.

The University of Sheffield AMRC has recently worked with EY-Parthenon to outline clear actions to unlock growth and secure sovereign defence capability, as well as the central role the AMRC can play in helping the UK to overcome innovation, capacity and capability challenges.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: In an ever more dangerous world, South Yorkshire has a significant role to play in the defence and security of the United Kingdom and our allies.

The £50 million Defence Growth Deal we have been awarded by the government doesn’t simply recognise the expertise and assets we have here today, it will help us to build the technologies and innovations of the future.

That Deal will mean we can continue making things, creating secure, well‑paid jobs, giving people across South Yorkshire the opportunity to stay near and go far. All while helping to keep the UK and our allies safe, secure and protected.

Images: Luke Pollard / X

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