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This episode is with Damian Allen, the Chief Executive of Doncaster Council.
As well as discussing Damian’s early life (he was homeless for a period of time as a child), the main topic of conversation is devolution. Doncaster was part of the successful devolution bid which resulted in the creation of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. We talk about how that was achieved and how the “system” works.
The system theme continues as we discuss the creation of the Integrated Care System which involves the council working more closely with the NHS.
We also cover Doncaster itself and the exiting and ambitious plans Damian and his colleagues have for the town, with particular emphasis on environment (they have declared a climate and biodiversity emergency) and also on ensuring local people have the skills they need to thrive post Covid-19.