South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham.
In Northern England,it is on the east side of the Pennines. Part of the Peak District national park is in the county. The River Don flows through most of the county,which is landlocked.
The county had a population of 1.34 million in 2011. [2] Sheffield,its largest urban centre,lies in the south west of the county. The built-up area around Sheffield and Rotherham,with over half the county's population living within it,is the tenth most populous in the United Kingdom.
The majority of the county was formerly governed as part of the county of Yorkshire,the former county remains as a cultural region. The county was created on 1 April 1974,under the Local Government Act 1972. [3] [4] It was created from 32 local government districts of the West Riding of Yorkshire (the administrative county and four county boroughs) and small areas from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. South Yorkshire County Council was abolished in 1986,multiple bodies took over the roles which make it a metropolitan county,such as a passenger transport executive,most of which were later absorbed into the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. [5] [6] [7]
Although the modern county of South Yorkshire was not created until 1974,the history of its constituent settlements and parts goes back centuries. Prehistoric remains include a Mesolithic "house" (a circle of stones in the shape of a hut-base) dating to around 8000 BC,found at Deepcar,in the northern part of Sheffield. [8] Evidence of even earlier inhabitation in the wider region exists about 3 miles (5 km) over the county boundary at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire,where artefacts and rock art found in caves have been dated by archaeologists to the late Upper Palaeolithic period,at least 12,800 years ago. [9] The region was on the frontier of the Roman Empire during the Roman period. [10]
The main settlements of South Yorkshire grew up around the industries of mining and steel manufacturing. The main mining industry was coal which was concentrated to the north and east of the county. There were also iron deposits which were mined in the area. The rivers running off the Pennines to the west of the county supported the steel industry that is concentrated in Sheffield,Stocksbridge and Rotherham. The proximity of the iron and coal also made this an ideal place for steel manufacture.
Although Christian nonconformism was never as strong in South Yorkshire as in the mill towns of West Yorkshire,there are still many Methodist and Baptist churches in the area. Also,South Yorkshire has a relatively high number of followers of spiritualism. It is the only county that counts as a full region in the Spiritualists' National Union. [11]
The Local Government Commission for England presented draft recommendations,in December 1965,proposing a new county—York and North Midlands—roughly centred on the southern part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and northern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. The review was abolished in favour of the Royal Commission on Local Government before it was able to issue a final report.
The Royal Commission's 1969 report,known as the Redcliffe-Maud Report,proposed the removal of much of the then existing system of local government. The commission described the system of administering urban and rural districts separately as outdated,noting that urban areas provided employment and services for rural dwellers,and open countryside was used by town dwellers for recreation. [12]
Redcliffe-Maud's recommendations were accepted by the Labour government in February 1970. [13] Although the Redcliffe-Maud Report was rejected by the Conservative government after the 1970 general election,there was a commitment to local government reform,and the idea of a metropolitan county of South Yorkshire.
post-1974 | pre-1974 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan county | Metropolitan borough | County boroughs | Non-county boroughs | Urban districts | Rural districts |
![]() South Yorkshire is an amalgamation of 32 former local government districts,including four county boroughs. | Barnsley | Barnsley | – | Cudworth •Darfield •Darton •Dearne •Dodworth •Hoyland Nether •Penistone •Royston •Wombwell •Worsbrough | Hemsworth •Penistone •Wortley (part) |
Doncaster | Doncaster | – | Adwick le Street •Bentley with Arksey •Conisbrough •Mexborough •Tickhill | Doncaster •East Retford (part) •Thorne •Worksop (part) | |
Rotherham | Rotherham | – | Maltby •Swinton •Rawmarsh •Wath upon Dearne | Kiveton Park •Rotherham | |
Sheffield | Sheffield | – | Stocksbridge | Wortley (part) |
The Local Government Act 1972 reformed local government in England by creating a system of two-tier metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties and districts throughout the country. [14] The act formally established South Yorkshire on 1 April 1974,although South Yorkshire County Council (SYCC) had been running since elections in 1973. [15] The leading article in The Times on the day the Local Government Act came into effect noted that the "new arrangement is a compromise which seeks to reconcile familiar geography which commands a certain amount of affection and loyalty,with the scale of operations on which modern planning methods can work effectively". [16]
South Yorkshire initially had a two tier structure of local government with a strategic-level county council and four districts providing most services. [17]
In 1974,as part of the South Yorkshire Structure Plan of the environment,conservation and land use,South Yorkshire County Council commissioned a public attitudes survey covering job opportunities,educational facilities,leisure opportunities,health and medical services,shopping centres and transport in the county. [18]
In 1986,throughout England the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The functions of the county council were devolved to the boroughs;joint-boards covering fire,police and public transport;and to other special joint arrangements. [19] The joint boards continue to function and include the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. [20] The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner also oversees South Yorkshire Police.
Although the county council was abolished,South Yorkshire remains a metropolitan and ceremonial county with a Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and a High Sheriff.
The metropolitan county borders Derbyshire,West Yorkshire,North Yorkshire,the East Riding of Yorkshire,Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The terrain of the county is mostly distinguished by the Pennines and its foothills which rise in the west of the county and gradually descend into the Humberhead Levels in the east of the county. Geologically,the county lies largely on the carboniferous rocks of the Yorkshire coalfield in the outer Pennine fringes,producing a rolling landscape with hills,escarpments and broad valleys. In this landscape,there is widespread evidence of both current and former industrial activity. There are numerous mine buildings,former spoil heaps and iron and steel plants. The scenery is a mixture of built up areas,industrial land with some dereliction,and farmed open country. Ribbon developments along transport routes including canal,road and rail are prominent features of the area although some remnants of the pre industrial landscape and semi-natural vegetation still survive. [21]
The Pennines in the west of the county are mostly inside the Peak District National Park and also contain carboniferous rocks,with the underlying geology primarily being millstone grit sandstones of the Dark Peak rising from the Yorkshire coalfield and the terrain is mostly moorland plateaus and gritstone edges. [22] The inner Pennine fringes between the Dark Peak and Yorkshire coalfield are distinguished by many steep valleys,and a transition from uplands and rural landscape to lowlands and urban landscape towards the east of the county. [23] Major rivers which cross the area are the Dearne,Rother and Don. To the east,in the Doncaster area the landscape becomes flatter as the eastward dipping carboniferous rocks of the coalfield are overlain by the lacustrine deposits of the Humberhead Levels. [24]
South Yorkshire contains green belt throughout the county,surrounding its four districts to large extents. It was first drawn up from the 1950s. The western edge of the Sheffield and Barnsley districts directly form with the boundary of the Peak District National Park.
The table below outlines many of the county's settlements, and is formatted according to their metropolitan borough.
Of these settlements above, South Yorkshire has three main urban areas: the Dearne Valley which covers Barnsley and surrounding area; the Sheffield urban area which covers Sheffield, Rotherham and surrounding area; and the Doncaster urban area which covers Doncaster and surrounding area.
Body | Headquarters | Notes |
---|---|---|
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority | Castlegate Quarter, Sheffield City Centre | Formerly Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, includes South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive |
South Yorkshire County Council | Central Offices, Barnsley | Abolished in 1986 |
South Yorkshire Joint Secretariat | Barnsley | The only metropolitan county in the UK that has established a formal joint secretariat. [25] |
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service | Cultural Industries Quarter, Sheffield City Centre | |
South Yorkshire Police | Carbrook, Sheffield | |
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council | Barnsley Town Hall | Covers Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley |
Doncaster Council | Doncaster Civic Office | Covers City of Doncaster district |
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council | Rotherham Town Hall | Covers Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham |
Sheffield City Council | Sheffield Town Hall | Covers City of Sheffield district |
The South Yorkshire County Council was abolished and its districts effectively became unitary authorities; they are the City of Sheffield, the City of Doncaster, the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham. [26]
In 1986, throughout England the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The ceremonial county with a Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and a High Sheriff was retained. The county remains defined as metropolitan, functions of the county council devolved to the boroughs with many functions administered by joint authorities (such a passenger transport executive) containing representatives of the four councils.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority was established in 2014 to bring the leaders of the four councils to give the county a main statutory body. It is led by the directly elected Mayor of South Yorkshire.
In the 2016 referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union, South Yorkshire voted 62% leave and 38% remain, making it one of the most heavily Leave areas in the country.
As one of the least prosperous areas in Western Europe, South Yorkshire has been targeted for funding from the European Regional Development Fund. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of South Yorkshire at current basic prices with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. [27]
However, the county has experienced a recent growth in the services sector. In the FDI European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/23 Awards, Doncaster was ranked the best small city in Europe for investment.
Year | Regional Gross Value Added [28] |
---|---|
1998 | £12,820 |
2001 | £13,921 |
2004 | £17,718 |
2007 | £21,192 |
2010 | £21,512 |
2013 | £22,560 |
Key | |
![]() | Abbey/Priory/Cathedral |
![]() | Accessible open space |
![]() | Amusement/Theme Park |
![]() | Castle |
![]() | Country Park |
![]() | English Heritage |
Forestry Commission | |
![]() | Heritage railway |
![]() | Historic House |
![]() | Places of Worship |
![]() ![]() | Museum (free/not free) |
![]() | National Trust |
![]() | Theatre |
![]() | Zoo |
Metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, with populations between 1 and 3 million. They were created in 1974 and are each divided into several metropolitan districts or boroughs. Following the abolition of metropolitan county councils in 1986, metropolitan counties no longer form a part of local government in England. Most of their functions were devolved to the metropolitan boroughs, making the boroughs effectively unitary authorities; any remaining functions were taken over by joint boards.
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the reorganisation of the Local Government Act 1972 which saw it formed from a large part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The county had a population of 2.3 million in the 2011 census making it the fourth-largest by population in England. The largest towns are Huddersfield, Castleford, Batley, Bingley, Pontefract, Halifax, Brighouse, Keighley, Pudsey, Morley and Dewsbury. The three cities of West Yorkshire are Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield.
Doncaster is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. The city is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. It is situated in the Don Valley on the western edge of the Humberhead Levels and east of the Pennines. The urban subdivision had a population of 113,566 at the 2021 census, whilst the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough had a population of 308,106.
Barnsley is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 96,888 in 2021, while the wider borough had a population of 244,600 in the 2021 census.
High Peak is a local government district with borough status in Derbyshire, England. The borough compromises high moorland plateau in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park. The district stretches from Holme Moss in the north to Sterndale Moor in the south, and from Hague Bar in the west to Bamford in the east. The population of the borough taken at the 2011 Census was 90,892. The borough is unusual in having two administrative centres for its council, High Peak Borough Council; the offices are based in both Buxton and Glossop. The borough also contains other towns including Chapel-en-le-Frith, Hadfield, New Mills and Whaley Bridge.
The Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. It is named after its largest town, Rotherham, but also spans the outlying towns of Maltby, Swinton, Wath-upon-Dearne, Dinnington and also the villages of Rawmarsh and Laughton. A large valley also spans the entire borough. Locally known as the Rother Valley.
The Redcliffe-Maud Report was published in 1969 by the Royal Commission on Local Government in England, under the chairmanship of Lord Redcliffe-Maud. Although the commission's proposals were broadly accepted by the Labour government, they were set aside by the Conservative government elected in 1970.
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Government of 1970–74.
Sheffield is a geographically diverse city in England. It nestles in the eastern foothills of the Pennines and the confluence of five rivers: Don, Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley and Porter. As such, much of the city is built on hillsides, with views into the city centre or out to the countryside. The city is roughly one third urban, one third rural and one third in the Peak District. At its lowest point the city stands just 29 metres above sea level at Blackburn Meadows on the Rotherham border, rising up to over 500 m in some parts of the city to a peak of 548m at High Stones on the Derbyshire border; however, 89% of the housing in the city is between 100 and 200 metres above sea level. Over 95% of the population resides in the main urban area.
The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the passenger transport executive for South Yorkshire in England. It is supervised by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which consists of representatives from the metropolitan boroughs of Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, and Barnsley.
"People's Republic of South Yorkshire" or "Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire" were nicknames often given to South Yorkshire under the left-wing local governments of the 1980s, especially the municipal socialist administration of Sheffield City Council led by David Blunkett, used by both detractors and supporters of the councils. The councils pursued a social policy radically different from that of Margaret Thatcher's national government, following more closely along the lines of Militant tendency-dominated Liverpool City Council and the Greater London Council led by Ken Livingstone.
The A6195 road runs through the Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, England.
The South Yorkshire Coalfield is so named from its position within Yorkshire. It covers most of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and a small part of North Yorkshire. The exposed coalfield outcrops in the Pennine foothills and dips under Permian rocks in the east. Its most famous coal seam is the Barnsley Bed. Coal has been mined from shallow seams and outcrops since medieval times and possibly earlier.
The Sheriff of Hallamshire was a shrievalty title which was in existence from 1962 until 1974 in Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
Scouting in Yorkshire and the Humber is largely represented by the Scout Association of the United Kingdom and some Groups of traditional Scouting including the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association.
The South Yorkshire County Council (SYCC) — also known as South Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council — was the top-tier local government authority for the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire from 1 April 1974 to 31 March 1986. A strategic authority, with responsibilities for roads, public transport, planning, emergency services and waste disposal, it was composed of 100 directly elected members drawn from the four metropolitan boroughs of South Yorkshire: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
The South Yorkshire Joint Secretariat (SYJS) is a body established to provide support to the four joint authorities that were formed in South Yorkshire following the abolition of the South Yorkshire County Council in 1986. When the county council was abolished, joint-boards were established to manage policing, fire and rescue services, integrated transport and pensions on a county wide basis.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is the combined authority for South Yorkshire in England, with powers over transport, economic development and regeneration. It covers a total area of 3484 km2 which is home to a population of 1.8 million. It includes the entirety of the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire as full members, with North East Derbyshire, Derbyshire Dales, Bassetlaw, Chesterfield and Bolsover non-metropolitan Districts as non-constituent members.