Ruddingtonians are being reminded that time is running out to have our say on proposed regulatory changes which could impact many aspects of village life – including housing, transport, education and the environment.
On August 30th 2022 the leaders of Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council all signed up to work on proposals to set up a brand new body called the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA). It followed an announcement from the Government that a package of new powers and funding, worth £1.14 billion, was available to ’empower’ our region. The EMCCA would include representatives from existing local councils and be led by an elected mayor representing both counties and both cities.
Since then, the Councils involved have been working on a more detailed proposal for how ‘devolution’ would work in our area – alongside other local political leaders, representatives for universities and colleges, emergency services, businesses, and voluntary and community groups – leading to the current public consultation which runs until January 9th 2023.
Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, says: “Devolution can bring real benefits for local people, as it has done in other parts of the country. It will mean more funding for our region, and the opportunity to have more meaningful decisions made here, near the people they affect, rather than in London, so they can be better tailored to local needs. This is an opportunity to create jobs, boost our economy, enhance transport, build more and better homes, improve our environment, and more, and we need to grab it with both hands. I don’t want our area to miss out on a chance to improve things for everyone who lives and works here.”
Natalie Gasson-McKinley, Development Manager for the Federation of Small Businesses adds: “The devolution bid and consultation is a fantastic opportunity for everyone across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to hear about the plans that are happening but also to help shape those plans. The scale of the opportunity is huge, done right. There are lots of decisions that are made centrally around adult education budgets, around infrastructure, transport, so to have the opportunity for local people and local decision makers to shape those things and to really impact them is a really once in their lifetime opportunity.”
She adds: “For small businesses in particular, the opportunity to shape their local economic environment is crucial. There’s so much happening to businesses at the moment. It is a really tough and challenging time. So to have decision makers placed locally, who can really impact and make positive change, is everything to those businesses right now. I’d encourage businesses, communities, anybody really to get involved with the consultation and to speak to people about what’s happening, because it is really important to share those views about what you want to see.”
It’s being claimed that ‘devolution’ 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.
As well as the £1.14 billion, devolution plans 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.
It’s said ‘devolution’ would mean that a future mayor and combined authority could:
- Work towards Net Zero and cleaner air with new low carbon homes, retrofit existing houses with external wall insulation, promote the use of renewable energy, and protect and enhance green spaces, like areas for wildlife and green verges.
- Build on the region’s existing knowledge and expertise in green technology and promote the growth of a future low carbon economy by investing in related skills training at colleges and other training facilities.
- Set up and coordinate smart integrated ticketing and enhanced concessionary fares schemes.
Work with Homes England to build more affordable homes, by using new powers to buy land and housing (With district and borough council consent). - Enhance the region’s economy by developing new commercial space to maximise opportunities.
- Work with national government on initiatives to address homelessness, domestic abuse, community safety, social mobility, and support for young people.
- Take advantage of economies of scale by using combined and devolved budgets to deliver more value for taxpayers and more cost-efficient services.
When these proposals were revealed, Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, Cllr Simon Robinson, said: “We will now digest this devolution deal that has been set out, review it and ensure the Council’s views are clearly heard both to fellow authorities in the deal and as part of the consultation. As ever, we will make sure this deal is as positive as possible for Rushcliffe residents and businesses and strive to see it benefit the Borough.”
To find out more about the ‘devolution’ plans for Ruddington you should visit www.eastmidlandsdevolution.co.uk for full details of all the proposals. You can also take part in an Online Teams Event on Wednesday 4th January 2023 at 6pm. Then please complete the online Ipsos survey >>HERE<< no later than Monday January 9th 2023 so you don’t miss out having your say.
If the devolution deal does get formally approved, the Government would pass legislation bringing a new combined authority for the East Midlands into existence. The first election for a regional mayor for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, would then be in May 2024.
