Cuts to IVF cycles and gluten-free prescriptions by the South Yorkshire ICB risk deepening health inequality in our region, I'm told Healthwatch branches in #Doncaster & #Rotherham say they are "deeply disappointed" Pressure on health bosses continues to ramp up

Pressure is mounting in health bosses in South Yorkshire to reverse a "heartbreaking" cut to IVF services in the region The South Yorks ICB cut the number of cycles the NHS would provide in the region from two to one last month

Doncaster Council are "optimistic" for Government assistance with a growing SEND deficit in the Schools White Paper It's much needed, with CDC projected to overspend the dedicated schools grants by over £110m by the end of 2027/28

Health on the High Street NHS services once again look to be coming to Waterdale It gives Doncaster Council the option to purchase the freehold of a significant portion of the retail site, with regeneration/redevelopment on the horizon

Cabinet on Wednesday gave us a flurry of news lines, including that the £1.4m for changes to a Doncaster city centre crossing would go ahead

Proposals for a temporary solar farm in Marr, Doncaster are recommended for approval This is despite potential harm to a neighbouring business

Top tier headline that none of us would have the chance to see without the Local Democracy Reporting Service... "Weeing and pooing in street and anti-social driving among activities banned in proposed order"

REPORT: Doncaster Council’s spending deficit against the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) will be £19.1m in 2025/26 alone, papers have revealed Local authorities still await word from government on how it plans to deal with this significant national issue www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...

More than one-in-10 St Leger Homes properties are "non-decent", cabinet papers have revealed Less than 8% of council properties did not meet the Decent Homes Standard after 2025/26 Q1, but a "significant" increase puts this up to 12% after Q2

REPORT: A councillor in Doncaster has defected to Advance UK, after defecting from Reform UK Cllr Nicola Brown revealed she was leaving Nigel Farage's in a statement to me this morning She's been welcomed with open arms by Advance's leader Ben Habib ⬇️

NEW 🚨: Councillor Nicola Brown has defected from Reform UK to Ben Habib's Advance UK, she has confirmed to the LDRS She will become Advance's first councillor on the City of Doncaster Council. Mr Habib called her a "principled lady... concerned about the state of the country".

The NHS South Yorkshire ICB has gone ahead with proposals to cut the number of IVF cycles it will offer from two to one Much to the disappointment of local councillors

Doncaster Council's projected overspend at the end of 2025/26 has been reduced by over 20% since the end of Q1 But... it remains a "significant issue" at £5.2m Story below ⬇️

A report to Mayor Ros Jones' cabinet meeting next week has revealed plans for safety improvements at a busy city centre crossing It'll come with a £1.4m price tag, if the money is accepted by cabinet

Health on the High Street looks set to take another step closer next week Mayor Ros Jones and her cabinet are recommended to approve a lease and sub-lease to bring NHS services to Doncaster city centre

The climate minister has said the UK is going through a "transition" and should take advantage of the declining price of solar energy Katie White MP was responding to a question from me about Whitestone Solar Farm, which councils in Rotherham and Doncaster have publicly opposed

An excellent story from the BBC Yorkshire team 'Our local hospital's broken hearing services have failed us'

REPORT: Oliver Coppard has said he is "really confident" for the future of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, but acknowledged it is not without risk The first of two stories from yesterday's Great Northern Conference in Doncaster Read below ⬇️

Councillor Nicola Brown has rejoined Reform UK Doncaster days after quitting the party to sit as an independent

This is Diane. Diane is a 70yo pensioner paying an eye-watering £150pw to top up the heating on her council flat in Doncaster She says nearby buildings have had upgrades from St Leger Homes, but her's, Chevet House, has been forgotten

Labour minister Miatta Fahnbulleh MP was in Doncaster yesterday morning, announcing £20m in Government funding for the city centre Mayor Ros Jones told councillors at full council that £7m would be used on regenerating Doncaster Markets

NEW: Former Reform UK parliamentary candidate Irwen Martin has resigned as Doncaster branch chairman, as a local councillor quits the party to sit as an independent

NEW: Doncaster Councillor Guy Aston has resigned as leader of the Reform UK group In a message to his party colleagues, Aston claimed to have received "unpleasant, vitriolic texts that border on abuse", including from his own councillors

BREAKING: Cllr Guy Aston has resigned as leader of the Reform UK group on the City of Doncaster Council "effective immediately" In a message to party colleagues, Cllr Aston says he has been subject to "vitriolic texts that border on abuse" from people, including his own Cllrs

REPORT: Doncaster Sheffield Airport has passed its last legislative hurdle after councillors approved £57m of borrowing

BREAKING: Doncaster Council has approved £57m in borrowing to support the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport

NEW: Message from the Donny Reform UK WhatsApp show a very clear whip for the DSA borrowing vote today Anything but a yes vote could result in suspension, according to this message from Cllr Ioan Craciun (group whip) Hints that not turning up to meeting is best bet for no votes

REPORT: Auditors highlight 'conflict of interest' risks over Doncaster council officers holding positions as directors of Fly Doncaster Ltd Council will take advice on the matter, following recommendations by Grant Thornton

REPORT: Reform UK fallout begins after group leader's joint statement with Labour Mayor Jason Charity, a former member of Guy Aston's top team, has stepped back to the backbenches over disagreements over the group's direction

A very, very upset Reform UK councillor has been in touch Cllr Aston hasn’t any “back bone”, they say They recommend I “bring popcorn” to full council this Thursday

NEW: Mayor Ros Jones and leader of Doncaster Reform UK (the opposition) are “in agreement” on the need for borrowing to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport Councillors will vote on the borrowing on Thursday

NEW: Planning permission has been granted for two housing developments near DSA on Peel Group-owned land The second of the applications, preferred by Peel, is in breach of Doncaster's Local Plan, but officers felt the benefits outweighed the breach www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...

Spent Thurs/Fri in Salford for the Local Democracy Reporting Service conference - very, very cool Delighted to be runner-up for The George Makin Award as well for the top new LDRs 😁

BREAKING: Former Doncaster Labour councillor Dave Shaw has been charged with assault occassioning actual bodily harm South Yorkshire Police confirm Shaw will appear in court in December

BREAKING: The consortium offering private investment in Doncaster Airport has accused the council of "suppressing" its offer in a letter to the Prime Minister Investors say their offer included around half-a-billion pounds of investment

The new Mayor of Hatfield says there is work to be done to bring the council back from the "disruption" of the last six months Cllr James Hart was appointed mayor at a meeting last night www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...

Being the partner of a charity fundraiser means you’re often called in for “compulsory volunteering” Another very warm stint under the belt as Westie 💜

The controversial Mick Glynn has resigned as the Mayor of Hatfield Town Council, bringing his short, chaotic tenure in charge to an end Read the news of his standing down and a brief overview of how we got here 🗞️

REPORT: Transport officials are “exploring” whether the £1.5b Transport for City Regions settlement could be used to upgrade the M18 J3 Doncaster Council CEO Damian Allen reckons £650m of it is still available

BREAKING 🚨: I understand Councillor Mick Glynn has resigned as Mayor of Hatfield Town Council Verified with separate sources. Glynn’s resignation has been accepted by the proper officer - his successor will be elected on Monday

BREAKING: Mayor Jones and cabinet accept £175m grant to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport 🛫 One final legislative hurdle remains

NEW: A Reform UK councillor in #Doncaster has been forced to apologise over post shared to Facebook following the attack about a train in Cambridgeshire over the weekend Alexander Jones deleted the post less than a day after initially posting it.

REPORT: Officials have told councillors reopening #Doncaster Sheffield Airport is not "about profitability" They say the measure of success is different for a public sector organisation

A public FYI Reform DO NOT control Doncaster Council It is a directly elected mayor system, pretty much presidential The mayor is Labour. She chose a Labour cabinet Mayor & cabinet make ~95% of key decisions END

#Doncaster Council's scrutiny committee meets today 12.30pm to review the DSA proposals going to cabinet on Wednesday It is the first OSMC meeting since Reform UK's chairs reshuffle. Cllr Karl Hughes will lead the meeting, Cllr Steve Cox (Cons) will vice-chair.

NEW: Major changes to a busy road through a #Doncaster town will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists Cabinet needs to approve £10million of funding for the project, which would reduce the lanes to one in each direction and add cycleways and footpaths

NEW: The total cost of the by-election in Bentley was more than expected #Doncaster Council have released the total cost to the LDRS in the "interests of openness and transparency"

I've had the chance to take in the #Doncaster Sheffield Airport cabinet papers now A thread 🧵 for anyone who doesn't have time to read it all

Back at the desk today. Rummaging through DSA cabinet papers today. The week's headlines don't paint a great picture 😕

I’ve seemingly entered the weddings period of my life. Off until Thursday. DMs still open, but you’ll not get an email or text reply (work phone is at home)