Councils to discuss details for proposed £1.14 billion East Midlands devolution plans

Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council and Nottingham City Council are all due to decide whether to formally agree that a public consultation about the devolution deal proposal should go ahead.

Nottingham City Council will be the first to discuss the deal at its full council meeting on October 31, followed by Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council, both on November 2, and Nottinghamshire County Council on November 4.

The leaders of each of the four councils signed up to work on a devolution deal in August after the Government offered the region a package of new powers and funding worth £1.14 billion.

Since then, the councils have been working on agreeing a more detailed proposal, which includes more information about how devolution would work.

If approved, a full consultation would follow, giving residents, businesses and other organisations the chance to have their say on the plans for a devolution deal, which would see a new regional mayor and new type of combined authority created for the area from 2024.

The deal would provide the region with a guaranteed income stream of £38 million per year over a 30-year period, and would cover around 2.2 million people, making it one of the biggest in the country.

The four leaders, Coun Barry Lewis (Con), leader of Derbyshire County Council, Ben Bradley MP (Con), leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Chris Poulter (Con), leader of Derby City Council, and David Mellen (Lab), leader of Nottingham City Council, said in a joint statement: “Formal agreement by each council to go ahead with a consultation is the next step towards securing a devolution deal

"It is about us getting a better deal for our area and getting a fairer share for both counties and cities.

“We don’t want to miss out on the advantages that devolution would bring.

"We’ve seen how devolution has given other areas more influence, a bigger presence, and helped them make the most of their strengths.

“We want to make the most of every opportunity, and of every penny, that this deal would bring in.

"It could make a real difference to people’s lives with more and better jobs, more investment, economic growth, better transport, housing, skills training, an improved greener and more sustainable environment.

"These are the things we all want to see, as we work together for a better future for the East Midlands.”

The proposed deal would include an extra £16 million for new homes on brownfield land and control over a range of budgets like the adult education budget, which could be better tailored to the needs of people in our communities.

The deal on the table is a level three deal, which offers the most local powers and funding.

It would mean a new elected regional mayor to look at major issues affecting the whole region, give the area a bigger voice, and take advantage of local knowledge and expertise.

If the deal is formally approved, the first election for a regional mayor for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham would be in May 2024.