City Region bosses staged an emergency meeting to hammer out plans to save the £900m devolution deal.
The event was scheduled for January 30 but was brought forward because time is so tight.
Council leaders have four months to re-run part of a consultation ruled unlawful ahead of public elections for a city region mayor on May 4.
It comes after Derbyshire County Council objected to Chesterfield’s application to become a full member of Sheffield City Region – and benefit from devolved powers and £900m of funding.
It lodged a judicial review and in December a judge ruled consultation on the move had been ‘misleading’.
Now, to keep the devolution timetable on track, it will need to be re-run, and approved by Government. Only then can local leaders sign off the mayor’s powers and territory. And only then can public elections be held as planned.
It is unclear whether the date of the elections, which is set by Parliamentary Order, can be moved without a new one.
If the region misses the deadline it might have to wait until the next wave of mayoral elections – set by former Chancellor George Osborne – in 2020.
Meanwhile, It is understood the first slice of devolution cash – some £30m – is still set to be paid out on April 1.
Article originally published by The Star
