A DEBATE on the issue of devolution in South Yorkshire will be held next week and broadcast on BBC Radio Sheffield - but leaders from Barnsley will not be taking part.
Radio Sheffield and newspapers across South Yorkshire - including the Barnsley Chronicle - have come together to host the debate to which all council leaders have been invited.
But leader of Barnsley Council Coun Sir Steve Houghton, along with Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones, have declined the offer.
Sir Steve told the Chronicle yesterday he didn’t believe the debate with leaders from all South Yorkshire Councils was appropriate given the fact that only Barnsley and Doncaster residents are taking part in a poll on their favoured option for devolution.
“I’m happy to debate these issues in Barnsley and Doncaster,” he said.
“Barnsley and Doncaster are having a poll, they’re having their say, but Sheffield and Rotherham haven’t given their residents the opportunity to do this.
“Our priority is getting the information out there and speaking to people and encouraging them to vote.”
The debate, to be recorded at the BBC’s studios in Sheffield, will be broadcast on the radio next Friday morning.
Voting packs have been delivered to Barnsley residents this week.
They ask voters to choose whether they would prefer Barnsley Council pursue a devolution proposal with either ‘wider Yorkshire’ or ‘Sheffield City Region’.
The letter accompanying the ballot paper - sent on Barnsley Council headed note paper - says ‘we believe the wider Yorkshire proposal will be better for us’, but explains that the council will respect ‘your choice’ in any future devolution discussions.
