South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

The mayoral team has identified and allocated just under £500,000 to support rural communities affected by theft, vandalism and fly tipping. The funding has already supported 44 applications, including CCTV, lighting and other preventive measures. This is a concrete community safety spend and an ongoing funding opportunity for suppliers in security, lighting and related prevention tools.

Government funding of £33.4 million was secured to introduce more than 180 additional zero-emission buses for South Yorkshire. This is a significant capital spend linked to the bus franchising transition and future fleet procurement.

The board considered an £11.65 million CRSTS-funded transport scheme to deliver a series of active travel routes in Doncaster, creating a continuous accessible route from Red House roundabout into the city centre. This is a clear capital delivery and procurement opportunity in transport infrastructure.

The bus franchising programme is in active procurement, with the ITN having gone live on 2026-06-16 and closing on 2026-09-11. The authority shortlisted six bidders from 19 submissions by 10 operators, and it is also procuring 390 fully electric buses and securing depots and electrification works. This is a major live procurement opportunity spanning operator services, vehicles, depot infrastructure and related support services.

The board noted the completion of the £65 million Brownfield Housing Fund programme, which delivered over 3,700 homes, many with solar panels or heat pumps. A future housing fund programme will be developed as part of the integrated settlement, creating a continuing pipeline of housing investment.

The board considered and endorsed the emerging Transport for City Regions programme built around a £1.455bn government allocation. The base package includes bus franchising, tram renewal, highway maintenance and small-scale transport schemes, with the programme intended to be developed further into specific allocations and business cases.

The board discussed major procurement and investment matters across transport, the Doncaster Sheffield Airport restart, active travel and skills funding, and the South Yorkshire Airport City lease negotiations. There were also references to procurement standards for fair work, bus franchising progress, capital outturn and reserve use, and several grant-funded programmes. The meeting highlighted both spending commitments and delivery pressures, especially around inflation, bus network resilience, and airport commercial negotiations.

The committee heard detailed updates on bus franchising procurement, capital programme assurance, treasury outturn, internal audit findings, and adult skills compliance. Key issues included a clawback from an adult skills provider, ongoing procurement and governance controls across the authority, risks around transport patronage and signalling, and a strong focus on risk, resilience, and contract management. Several reports identified areas for improvement in procurement documentation, continuity planning, and integrated reporting, while major live procurements in bus franchising and fleet electrification were progressing on schedule.