Devolution deal announced for East Midlands

The government has announced a £1.14 billion deal for the East Midlands to cover Derbysire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham.

The deal includes a guaranteed income stream of £38 million per year over a 30-year period for the region.

The East Midlands combined authority would be one of the biggest in the country, with an area home to around 2.2 million people.

The city and council leaders in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham have already signed up to work on the deal with the government.

On Tuesday, Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, and David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, met with Greg Clarke MP, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities at Rolls Royce in Derby, where the deal was agreed in principle.

The details of the deal will be worked on by the councils and each council will take a report to approve a more detailed proposal for a consultation later this year.

The deal is a new type of combined authority, which requires new legislation from central government. On top of the £1.14 billion, an extra £16 million will be included for new homes on brownfield land as well as control over budgets such as the Adult Education Budget.

The deal will be a level 3 deal, offering the most local powers and funding. The deal would include a new elected regional mayor, who would represent both cities and counties and look at major issues that affect the whole region.

In a joint statement, Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, and David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “We welcome the £1.14 billion devolution deal from the Government on offer for our region. It’s fantastic news.

“We want to make the most of every penny so this can be used to make a real difference to people’s lives.

“As Leaders, we have all fought for a fairer share for our cities and counties, and a bigger voice for our area, to give us the clout and the influence we deserve, and to help us live up to our full potential.

“This deal would help make that a reality, creating more and better jobs through greater investment in our area, with increased economic growth, better transport, housing, skills training, and an enhanced greener environment, as we move towards being carbon neutral. These are what we all want to see, and we will work together for the common good of the East Midlands.

“We haven’t always had the same level of funding or influence as other areas, which has held us back. This is a golden opportunity to change that and put the power to do so in our own hands.

“There is a lot still to be agreed, and this is the beginning of the journey, not the end. We’re determined to build on this deal over time, as other areas have done.”

If the deal is approved, legislation will be passed to create the new combined authority. The first mayoral election would be in May 2024.

The new combined authority would be led by the regional mayor and would include representatives from local councils. Local councils would not be scrapped or merged and would continue to exist and still be responsible for most public services in the area. The mayor and combined authority will be focussing on wider issues including transport, regeneration and employment.

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