Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones shares post-election plans

2 May 2024 saw local and mayoral elections take place across the country, resulting in the Conservative party losing 474 council seats while independents and alternative parties made gains.

In South Yorkshire, Labour’s Oliver Coppard was re-elected as regional mayor and subsequently took on the role of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

Doncaster residents are yet to elect members to the local authority, with an election of council and the mayor to take place on 1 May 2025.

Mayor Jones, who has held the title since 2013, has shared her plans in the lead up to the election next year.

Following Oliver Coppard’s re-election, do you have any upcoming collaborative plans with the SYMCA? Is there anything you will be calling for from the mayor?

“I will continue to work with Mayor Oliver Coppard and SYMCA on a number of schemes, including our efforts to reopen our airport, remediating Doncaster Waterfront for future development and our opportunity sites in Doncaster for the Investment Zone.

“We will be working together to bring real transport improvements and better connectivity to Doncaster.

“From improvements to our roads to increasing the use of public transport and active travel as well as exploring franchising of our bus network across Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

“I will continue to work with Oliver to improve health outcomes for Doncaster residents, government have said there will be no funding for a new hospital until at least 2034 and even then nothing is certain, Doncaster Royal Infirmary needs support now.

“We will work with our NHS partners to bring health services into our city centre where possible to allow urgent repairs of DRI. Our ultimate aim remains a new hospital for Doncaster.

“It is pretty clear that government have given up on their pledge to level up places like Doncaster, meaning we are on our own, I will work with Mayor Oliver Coppard wherever I can to bring true levelling up to Doncaster.”

Do you have any early plans for key policies and campaign points for next year’s council election?

Mayor Jones highlighted her upcoming priorities in a statement during the Annual Council on Friday, 17 May.

She said: “My number one priority is to re-open our airport, delivering jobs, opportunities and global connectivity to Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

“The lease has been signed and the procurement of an operator is in the final stages and due to complete in the summer.

“Secondly, I want to regenerate our city centre for the 21st Century – working with South Yorkshire Police to create a Safer Doncaster, tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, continuing to push for more culture, leisure, education, hospitality, residential and health services within our city centre.

“Thirdly, I want to see safer and stronger neighbourhoods, tailored public services around local communities and working with South Yorkshire Police to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Edlington is a good example of progress made through partnership working, with more priority areas to come.

“My fourth priority is education and skills. The world of work continues to evolve, we must support both opportunities for our young people, but also for those adults who may need to retrain or reskill over the course of their career.

“Doncaster has incredible potential, with many opportunities on the way and I want our Doncaster residents to be able to grasp those opportunities and truly thrive.

“My fifth and final priority is to see a cleaner, greener and healthier Doncaster. With more trees being planted, more green space and cleaner streets, but this is not just down to us as a council, our residents, businesses and Team Doncaster partners will all have their own part to play in making this a reality.”

Cabinet is also set to approve the council’s annual Doncaster Delivering Together Investment Plan (DDTIP) this week, which outlines projects which have been identified for the coming year.

Following his departure from the Conservative party, former councillor and mayoral candidate James Hart unveiled plans last week to form a coalition of independent candidates who will contest every ward in Doncaster at the next election.

What are your thoughts on this?

“Credit to James Hart for calling out the disastrous state of the Conservative Party and how they have failed the country over the past 14 years.

“I agree with him that the Conservative Party is too busy fighting each other and culture wars rather than focusing on building the economy and putting money in people’s pockets.

“The Conservatives are more bothered about stoking culture wars and divisive politics to distract from their 14 years of failings in government.

“If James Hart wants to encourage people to get involved with the democratic process, then good for him, the general population is fed up with politicians due to political squabbling and the feeling they are being lied to.

“At a local level I regularly work with government ministers, simply because it is how we get things done. However, I hope to see a Labour government later this year.

“Turnout for elections is challenging across the majority of the country which is such a shame. It is our democratic right to vote, to have our say and elect politicians to represent us.

“I would like to see much more engagement from our residents in politics, if you want to represent your community in Doncaster then as a Labour party we are always on the lookout for potential new councillors.”