PIONEERING SOUTH YORKSHIRE’S CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY MOVES FORWARD

Published 7 February 2025 at 9:18am

South Yorkshire’s Citizens’ Assembly – the biggest regional Citizens’ Assembly in the UK – has taken another step forward with the publication of its recommendations.  
 
The assembly was established by South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, as part of his pledge to put people at the heart of decision-making. 
 
30,000 South Yorkshire residents were initially invited to express their interest in taking part in the 100-strong Assembly.  Those selected – carefully chosen to represent South Yorkshire – were asked to consider how to respond to the way in which our climate is changing, whilst building a thriving and sustainable future.
 
After several months of work and meetings across the region, Assembly members have agreed 14 bold and ambitious proposals.  Following further meetings with Citizens’ Assembly members, the recommendations are now available on the website of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.  
 
Expressing his support for the recommendations, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said:

“I’ve made no secret of the fact I want to do politics differently. The views of people right across South Yorkshire must be central to how we develop policy and take big decisions, how we tackle the big challenges in front of us and take advantage of the huge opportunities.
 
“That’s exactly why I brought together 100 people from across South Yorkshire to take part in this pioneering Citizens’ Assembly process. Using this model, we were able to select a group that was wholly representative of South Yorkshire and therefore engage with and understand the perspectives, hopes and fears across our whole community.
 
“These 14 recommendations, and the work of the Citizens’ Assembly, represent a different way of thinking about probably the biggest single issue we face; how we tackle climate breakdown and grasp the opportunity it presents, so we can create a South Yorkshire that's fit for the future. I'm proud that we’re making decisions in a way that challenges us to think and act differently.”
 
Mayor Oliver Coppard, will be holding a public event in spring to announce how the proposals will be taken forward and the progress that has been made to date.
 
Click here to see the full list of recommendations.