EAST MIDLANDS DEVOLUTION DEAL
As part of the Levelling Up White Paper that was published in February 2022, the Government committed to agree a devolution deal by 2030 with every part of England that wanted one.
Nine County areas were specifically named in the White Paper as places that Government wished to begin advanced negotiations with, including Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and Derby and Derbyshire.
The four authorities had expressed an interest the previous year in working together to progress a devolution agreement and began working towards an Autumn 2022 target date set by Government to agree a deal.
As things turned out, the so-named East Midlands Deal was put on an accelerated timetable which led to a flurry of activity over July and August and resulted in the Leaders of Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council signing up to a deal in principle at a launch event with Greg Clarke MP, the then Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, on 30 August 2022.
Content of the East Midlands Devolution Deal
The East Midlands Devolution Deal will include the first of a new type of combined authority, designed for two-tier areas, which will be established through new legislation by central government. The legislation will enable the formation of an East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority (EMMCCA).
The Devolution Deal is a ‘level 3 deal’, a reference to the different levels of deals offered through the Levelling Up White Paper, with level 3 offering the most local powers and funding in return for a new elected mayor. Elections for the mayor are currently expected to take place in Spring 2024.
The offer of a devolution deal marks a historic moment for the region and carries the prospect of additional investment, funding and powers with more major decisions being made locally.
The headlines of the deal are set out below with the full deal document available to access through this link:
East Midlands devolution deal – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
- A new investment fund of £1.14 billion, or £38 million a year over the next 30 years;
- £18 million capital in this spending round period to support local housing and net zero priorities;
- £17 million for the building of new homes on brownfield land in 2024/25;
- Control over a range of budgets at a local level to ensure they are better tailored to the needs of people in our communities. This includes the Adult Education Budget;
- New powers to improve and better integrate local transport and an integrated transport settlement starting in 2024/25;
- A commitment from Government to work jointly with the EMMCCA and other relevant partners to tackle homelessness, domestic abuse, community safety, social mobility and to support young people through their journey to adulthood.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
A public consultation about devolution for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Nottingham has begun.
The consultation is taking place from Monday 14 November until Monday 9 January 2023 and is an opportunity for everyone in the area to have their say about devolution proposals. It is open to residents, businesses, community and voluntary groups, and other organisations in the region.
More information about the consultation, and a link to the online survey, are available online:
www.eastmidlandsdevolution.co.uk/have-your-say