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South Yorkshire is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire to the east, Nottinghamshire to the south-east, and Derbyshire to the south and west. The largest settlement is the city of Sheffield.
The county is largely urban, with an area of and a population of 1,402,918. The largest settlements after Sheffield (556,500) are the city of Doncaster (113,566), Rotherham (109,697), and Barnsley (96,888). The east and west of the county are more rural. The county is governed by four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, City of Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield. They collaborate through South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
South Yorkshire lies on the edge of the Pennines, and the west of the county contains part of the Peak District National Park. The River Don rises in these hills, and flows through Sheffield, Rotherham, and Doncaster before reaching the flat Humberhead Levels in the east of the county.
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 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.
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 The commission described the system of administering urban and separately as outdated, noting that urban areas provided employment and services for rural dwellers, and open countryside was used by town dwellers for recreation.Redcliffe-Maud et al. (June 1969), pp. 219–235.
Redcliffe-Maud's recommendations were accepted by the Labour government in February 1970.Redcliffe-Maud and Wood (1975), pp. 46–7, 56, 157. 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.
| 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) |
South Yorkshire initially had a two tier structure of local government with a strategic-level county council and four districts providing most services.Redcliffe-Maud & Wood, B., English Local Government Reformed, (1974)
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.
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.Kingdom, J., Local Government and Politics in Britain, (1991) The joint boards continue to function and include the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. 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.
South Yorkshire lies within the Sheffield City Region with Barnsley also being within the Leeds City Region, reflecting its geographical position midway between Yorkshire's two largest cities.
The Pennines in the west of the county are mostly inside the Peak District 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. 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. Major rivers which cross the area are the River 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.
| South Yorkshire | Barnsley | Billingley, Birdwell, Bolton-upon-Dearne, Cudworth, Darfield, Darton, Dodworth, Goldthorpe, Great Houghton, Grimethorpe, Hoyland, Royston, Penistone, Thurnscoe, Wombwell, Worsbrough | |
| Doncaster | Adwick le Street, Armthorpe, Askern, Auckley, Balby, Barnby Dun, Bawtry, Bentley, Bessacarr, Braithwell, Branton, Cantley, Carcroft, Conisbrough, Cusworth Denaby, Dunscroft, Dunsville, Edenthorpe, Edlington, Finningley, Fishlake, Hatfield, Hyde Park, Intake, Kirk Sandall, Loversall, Marr, Mexborough, Micklebring, Moorends, Scawsby, Scawthorpe, Skellow, Stainforth, Rossington, Sykehouse, Norton, Thorne, Tickhill, Wadworth, Warmsworth, Wheatley Hills, Wheatley Hills | ||
| Rotherham | Anston, Aughton, Brinsworth, Dinnington, Harthill, Kiveton Park, Maltby, Rawmarsh, Scholes, Swinton, Thorpe Hesley, Todwick, Treeton, Thurcroft, Wales, Wath-upon-Dearne, Woodsetts, Whiston | ||
| Sheffield City Centre | Beighton, Chapeltown, Highlane, Mosborough, Oughtibridge, Stocksbridge, Wharncliffe Side |
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.
| Formerly Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, includes South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive |
| Abolished in 1986 |
| The only metropolitan county in the UK that has established a formal joint secretariat. Southyorks.gov.uk |
| Covers Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley |
| Covers City of Doncaster district |
| Covers Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham |
| 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. Vision of Britain – Components of South Yorkshire
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.
| White: White British | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,186,605 | 93.7% | 1,142,678 | 83.1% |
| White: White Irish | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6,655 | 0.5% | 4,930 | 0.4% |
| White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,653 | 0.1% |
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4,156 | 0.3% |
| White: Other White | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11,728 | 0.9% | 52,642 | 3.8% |
| Asian or Asian British: British Indians | – | – | 2,444 | 3,645 | 5,186 | 0.4% | 10,893 | 0.8% | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | – | – | 9,174 | 14,017 | 1.1% | 22,187 | 1.8% | 41,190 | 3.0% | |
| Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | – | – | 675 | 1249 | 2,025 | 0.2% | 4,610 | 0.3% | ||
| Asian or Asian British: British Chinese | – | – | 1376 | 2241 | 3,273 | 0.3% | 9,722 | 0.7% | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | – | – | 754 | 1407 | 3,262 | 0.3% | 12,704 | 0.9% | ||
| Black or Black British: African | – | – | 968 | 1,414 | 3,770 | 0.3% | 24,335 | 1.8% | ||
| Black or Black British: Caribbean | – | – | 4,851 | 6,365 | 6,156 | 0.5% | 5,818 | 0.4% | ||
| Black or Black British: Other Black | – | – | 1,953 | 2,738 | 829 | 0.1% | 3,832 | 0.3% | ||
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,162 | 0.4% | 11,266 | 0.8% |
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,102 | 0.1% | 4,124 | 0.3% |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3,253 | 0.3% | 8,316 | 0.6% |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,436 | 0.2% | 6,748 | 0.5% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,709 | 0.2% | 10,373 | 0.8% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15,015 | 1.1% |
However, the county has experienced a recent growth in the services sector. In the fDi Magazine, Doncaster was ranked the best small city in Europe for investment.
| £12,820 | |
| £13,921 | |
| 2004 | £17,718 |
| 2007 | £21,192 |
| £21,512 | |
| 2013 | £22,560 |
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