Nottinghamshire councils agree to progress with ‘county deal’ for devolution

Leading councillors from the district, borough, city and county councils met for an economic prosperity meeting, aimed at seeking a devolution package, more power and funding from central Government.

The meeting, at Newark & Sherwood Council, saw councillors agree to approve the Nottinghamshire Case for Devolution document.

The document sets out plans for a devolution deal from Government, aimed at bringing ‘much-needed’ investment and decision-making power to the county.

Devolution hands policy powers to local areas on issues including healthcare, transport, planning and development, and it brings investment from Government to spend on localised projects.

The county’s bid is hooked on five priority areas, including improving education and skills, transport, land and housing, economy and infrastructure, and the environment.

This, the nine councils said in their vision document, will ‘improve the lives of all Nottinghamshire residents’.

Coun Ben Bradley, Nottinghamshire Council leader and Mansfield MP, described the meeting as ‘really constructive’.

He said: “The councils unanimously backed our plans for both local collaborations to improve services, and also for devolution.

“We hope it leads us to a place where we’re able to secure a devolution deal, additional powers and devolved budgets from Government, and we expect feedback from that in the next couple of weeks.

“Although we have our own views, we all recognised the Government sees devolved authorities as a mechanism to deliver economic investment.”

The councillors approved funding to deliver the devolution plans, pooled between the local authorities and allocated specifically for economic development.

This will be used to work out what devolution means in practice, where there is a need for investment and how this could be targeted in a devolution deal.

Coun Matt Relf, who represented Ashfield council, said: “It’s positive we are working together as councils, on trying to define a clear plan for what we agree on.

“There’s a long way to go, but I think there has been great progress made so far.

“The Budget has shown more than ever the East Midlands keeps being forgotten about by the Government.

“If the Government is truly serious about ‘levelling up’, it needs to change its attitude to spending in the East Midlands.”