What devolution means
The government will give the combined county authority money and power to make decisions in the area, many of which would previously have been made centrally.
In the East Midlands, that means a new guaranteed funding stream of £1.14 billion, or £38 million a year over the next 30 years to support levelling up, as well as an extra £16.8 million for new homes on brownfield land.
As a combined county authority, it also means having access to additional transport funding, including a specific allocation of £1.5 billion for transport investment, supported by capacity funding in the short-term.
Combined county authority powers
Some decisions affecting the local area that were previously made in London will now be made by the East Midlands Combined County Authority – including skills, training and regenerating our villages, towns and cities.
The combined county authority is not a new council. Each of the 4 authorities will still exist and representatives from each will work together with a new regional mayor to make decisions for the area as a whole.
How the East Midlands Combined County Authority will be run
A new regional mayor will be elected by residents in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham on Thursday 2 May 2024.
The regional mayor will work closely with representatives from each authority and also with private, public and voluntary sector organisations so that decisions can be made by people who know the area best.
The combined county authority will be led by a new Chief Executive, with some specialist roles around key priority areas for the combined county authority. The new team will develop and deliver work previously done by central government, making sure local knowledge and expertise helps make the right decisions for the region.
Services transferring to the East Midlands Combined County Authority
The local authorities will still be responsible for most public services in their areas while the combined authority focuses on wider issues. The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will be integrated into the combined county authority, and it is expected that some staff will transfer over to the East Midlands Combined County Authority.
The combined county authority, and its Mayor, will take on specific transport powers, such as to produce a strategic transport plan for the region, to manage the major funding allocations from government and to make decisions on how public transport is run. Detailed plans are being developed but it is expected that some of these powers will transfer over time and it is likely that some colleagues currently carrying out these functions will transfer too.