Mayor puts prosperity of people and places first in new drive for East Midlands growth
Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward is meeting people across the region as she builds up to the launch of plans that could unlock a new kind of economic growth.
Mayor Claire will meet residents, business leaders and people working in health and skills at a series of events in Chesterfield, Derby and Nottingham in late July.
Over the past few months, she has secured £4 billion in government investment in the East Midlands, opening up the potential for nationally-significant developments, business expansion, jobs growth, transport improvements and more housing.
But she’s also brought together a group of specialists who have been working with communities and talking to business, skills and health leaders about ways of opening up the benefits of growth to more people and places in the region.
This Inclusive Growth Commission will reveal its final recommendations in September, and they will come only a few weeks ahead of the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s Local Growth Plan, which will set out a roadmap for regional investment and the role the East Midlands will play in the UK’s wider growth ambitions.
Mayor Claire said: “As Mayor, I’ve secured more than £4 billion in investment to drive growth in the region. The scale of the investment we will be making in the East Midlands puts us at the heart of the country’s future, but this is not the end of the story.
“I want everyone to be part of this economy and to feel the benefits of their contribution. That means investing in a way which creates good jobs, thriving places, and an enabling, reliable transport network. This is growth held to higher standards: inclusive growth.
“One of the characteristics of inclusive growth is that the people who create the prosperity – you – get to say what good looks like. So, I’m inviting you to tell us: sign up to one of our summer events, think about our outline plans, and tell me what you think. Working together, we can turn our region into the best place to live, work, and learn.”
The events will take place in Derby on 22 July, Chesterfield on 23 July and Nottingham on 24 July, and residents, businesses, local authorities and community leaders are all being invited to attend.
Details of the three events are available here – East Midlands Combined County Authority: summer engagement events
At each event, Mayor Claire will outline the region’s investment programme and how it will be delivered and invite members of the Inclusive Growth Commission to talk through their work. They will then hold round table discussions with people at the events to hear their views and answer questions.
Feedback from the events is expected to be built into the work of the Inclusive Growth Commission and into the East Midlands Local Growth Plan – which will set out a roadmap for investment and show how the expansion of the region’s economy can contribute to government’s ambitions for wider national progress.
