EMCCA

Vision unveiled for hundreds of thousands of jobs, new homes and £4.6bn economic boost in the East Midlands

Hundreds of thousands of jobs, a £4.6bn boost to the regional economy and 52,000 new homes are at the heart of Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward’s roadmap for growth to be launched this week.

The new vision for development across the East Midlands is being revealed at UKREiiF in Leeds, the UK’s biggest investment and infrastructure expo, which attracts more than 15,000 delegates from business and government.

It joins the dots between a series of massive development opportunities across the region covered by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).

The Vision also includes the UK’s only inland freeport and incentivised enterprise zones in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Together, the developments in the new East Midlands Spatial Vison will:

  • Create 100,000 full time jobs
  • Deliver 52,000 new homes
  • Boost the East Midlands economy by £4.6 billion
  • Unlock 4.2 million square metres of commercial space

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “I am proud of the region the East Midlands is. We are – simultaneously – a £55 billion economy, a world-leading centre for manufacturing and technology, a place of astonishing natural beauty, and a region of internationally resonant heritage.”

“However, pride is not passive, and our Vision for Growth shows what this region has the potential to become. This potential will be realised through a set of substantial commercial development opportunities that we will be sharing at UKREiiF.

“We are focusing on three in particular: the Trent Arc, which connects Nottingham and Derby, the Canal Corridor, which spans Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and the Supercluster, which focuses on three of our decommissioned power stations. These opportunities are a path to prosperity that builds on our existing, unique assets – and I look forward to sharing them with you.”

The Vision has been drawn up with the support of Areli Group, the investment and development specialist whose team has delivered a series of successful landmark schemes across the UK, including the internationally-renowned regeneration of Battersea Power Station in London.

Areli Group CEO Rob Tincknell said: “This is the most significant vision project we’ve been involved in. When you look at the East Midlands’ industrial strengths, the development assets it has, and the fact that it’s now got a Mayor leading from the front, then this is one of the UK’s most deliverable growth opportunities.

“The UK needs to think bigger than ‘development-as-usual’ and that’s exactly what the East Midlands is doing – taking 14 individual investment opportunities and turning them into one connected project broken down into 14 parts.”

Since her election a year ago, Mayor Claire Ward has announced ongoing investments in the East Midland economy totalling £538m including transport, regeneration projects, investment zones and an investment fund.

With the Spatial Vision, the Mayor, Areli and EMCCA have come up with a total of 14 growth opportunities covering energy, industry, transport, placemaking and the region’s growing visitor economy. They include:

  • Canal Corridor – Chesterfield town centre and its mainline rail station, Explore Park Investment Zone, Markham Vale Enterprise Zone, Hartington & Staveley investment zone.
  • Trent Arc – covering Nottingham and Derby city centres, Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Willington power station sites, South Derbyshire Growth Zone, Infinity Park Investment Zone near Rolls-Royce, East Midlands Intermodal Park near Toyota, and the Toton & Chetwynd area.
  • Supercluster – West Burton Power Station (which will host the pioneering nuclear STEP Fusion pilot) and Cottam and High Marnham power station sites.

The Vision also includes emerging proposals for the sustainable expansion of the visitor economy around the Peak District National Park and the Derbyshire Dales, a new destination for leisure, living and business near the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, renewal projects in the towns and village at the heart of the region, and The Loop – a 150-mile trail connecting the East Midlands’ landscape, character, culture and heritage.

Amy Harhoff, CEO of EMCCA, said: “This vision brings forward a series of logical and coherent development opportunities and a joined-up approach to delivery where we will support investors, partners and developers all the way.

“The East Midlands economy has the advanced manufacturing and clean energy opportunities that are going to be vital to the UK’s future growth. Were ready to harness that heft and work with partners to deliver.”

Mayor Claire added: “With the EMCCA team, I’m at UKREiiF to start conversations with development partners who can help us deliver on the huge potential of a hyper-connected region that will have a major role to play in the UK’s future economic growth.”

A delegation of leaders from Chesterfield is currently joining EMCCA at UKREiiF to outline the town’s £2 billion regeneration story. Find out more about investment opportunities in Chesterfield here.

View the latest Chesterfield investment map.

Business leaders give presentation at business and investment conference

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East Midlands Mayor calls on partners to make the case for regional investment

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, is beginning the countdown to the East Midlands taking centre stage at the UK’s biggest development showcase next month.

Mayor Claire will lead partners from across the East Midlands at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) taking place in Leeds over the three days of 20-22 May, with 15,000 national and international investors and developers expected to attend.

At a dedicated launch event in Nottingham on 7 May, the Mayor will outline her vision and ambition for the East Midlands at UKREiiF and bring partners, businesses and stakeholders together ahead of the three day event later that month.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “UKREiiF is a marketplace for attracting investment into our region. Deals made there can lead to the development of commercial spaces, housing, and infrastructure – creating jobs during construction and beyond.

“This is the biggest opportunity our region has had, since we were created, to showcase the regeneration opportunities our region has to offer. I need businesses, developers and investors in the region to join me in making that case. Doing so together, means we can accelerate plans to revitalise our town centres, brownfield sites, or underused assets – turning them into places people want to live, work and visit.”

Alongside Mayor Claire who will lead the launch event, keynote speakers are Amy Harhoff, CEO, East Midlands Combined County Authority and Matt Christie, Director of External Relations and Content, UKREiiF.

The East Midlands will be strongly represented at UKREiiF by the senior leadership teams at East Midlands Combined County Authority, the East Midlands Freeport, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Marketing Derby, Invest in Nottingham, Destination Chesterfield and Invest in Derbyshire.

Find out more about the East Midlands at UKREiiF

To register your interest in attending the launch event on 7 May, 6-8pm in Nottingham, please contact: communications@eastmidsdevo.org.uk

Perfectly located in the centre of the UK, Chesterfield is home to more than 3,000 businesses which benefit from the town’s excellent connectivity. For more information about locating your organisation in our town, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

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East Midlands secures Government backing for shared priorities to drive regional growth

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward has formally secured Government support for a set of shared growth priorities aimed at driving long-term economic growth, investment, and opportunity throughout the region.

This agreement marks a major milestone in the East Midland’s ambition to lead the way in delivering the Government’s national growth mission, with our region at the heart of that.

The shared priorities are built around the East Midlands’ strengths and opportunities. Over the next decade, EMCCA and central Government will work together to deliver progress in three key areas.

Innovation

  • Strengthen links between universities, businesses and research centres
  • Help local businesses make better use of new technologies
  • Attract more investment into high-sector growth

Skills

  • Improve access to training and support people to get better jobs
  • Work with universities and local businesses to grow specialist skills
  • Create clearer paths in key industries like green energy and digital

Transport

  • Make local and regional travel faster, more reliable and easier to access
  • Ensure transport needs are reflected in national road and rail plans
  • Explore new and innovative transport solutions for the region

These focus areas will form the foundation of EMCCA’s Local Growth Plan, helping to unlock investment, create high-quality jobs and support inclusive growth across the region.

We welcome the Government’s commitment to aligning national policy and funding with our regional ambitions. The Local Growth Plan will serve as the key vehicle for that collaboration, giving the East Midlands a stronger voice in national decisions and future spending reviews.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “I’m in regular contact with the Deputy Prime Minister and her Cabinet colleagues about the huge opportunities for growth in the East Midlands. The East Midlands Local Growth Plan crystallises the shared priorities of the people and businesses of the East Midlands and national government. It will be how we secure the future that this region wants to build for itself – something that I and other leaders can use to secure investment into the future.”

“This is partly about our growth sectors – but also about the enablers of growth, which benefit the entire economy. For us, transport, skills, and innovation are those enablers, and we have been pleased to see that government is backing us on this.”

“There is more work to do yet, but we are pulling together to develop a plan that can be translated, swiftly, into reality.”

The Local Growth Plan will include:

  • A detailed overview of the region’s economic strengths, challenges and opportunities
  • A clear set of growth priorities agreed with Government
  • A pipeline of projects and proposals to attract both public and private investment

Guidance to support the final stages of plan development will be published alongside the upcoming spending review, with publication of the East Midlands Local Growth Plan to follow shortly after.

Invest in Chesterfield

Growth sculture on horns bridge roundabout in chesterfield with crooked spire church in background

Located in the centre of England with excellent transport links, Chesterfield is an ideal location for your business to grow.

Find out more about investing in Chesterfield: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

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£385 million budget plans approved by the Mayor of the East Midlands

Leaders have approved the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s (EMCCA) budget, with a planned total spend of £385 million over the next year.

This funding includes £120 million in extra money the region wouldn’t have received if it didn’t have the Combined County Authority.

Devolution has enabled the creation of EMCCA and a Mayor, which has meant that the region is getting millions more to invest in improving the lives of people who live, work and visit the area.

The bulk of EMCCA’s budget spending will be on public transport and highways maintenance. This includes £66 million to fund major transport projects, £12.8 million to support smaller transport schemes and over £40 million to support and improve bus services across the area. There is also over £75 million to give to local councils to fix their roads, that’s £21.7 million more than the region has had before.

EMCCA is also investing in the region’s future and its workforce, with funding to help boost employment and upskill workers. This includes helping low earning adult learners to get the training they need to develop in their careers, plus it supports projects that helps those with disabilities or health conditions to get into work.

This year’s budget will also help projects that work to improve the economy and make the region greener, whilst boosting advanced manufacturing – like the East Midlands Investment Zone (EMIZ).

There’s also funding going towards improving the visitor experience across the region, support the work to make the East Midlands a great destination to visit and stay.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “We are committed to investing money into areas and projects that make a real difference and are important to local people. This year’s budget shows that devolution is working for the East Midlands as we are getting an extra £120 million that we wouldn’t have received if EMCCA didn’t exist.

“I know that public transport and fixing the state of our roads is hugely important to people, which is why I have allocated over £75 million to our county and city councils to get the potholes filled. We want to make it easier and cheaper for you to get around the region on public transport and we want to give adults and young people the skills they need to get jobs and progress in their careers.

“In the face of financial challenges, I want to ensure we are working with our local council partners to make sure they are getting the fair share of regional funding and that they use this funding to benefit everyone.

“We have ambitious plans for our region and this budget will help us deliver that throughout the next year and beyond.”

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Mayor of the East Midlands invites expressions of interest from voluntary, community and social enterprise sector

The Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, is inviting expressions of interest from the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in a new Associate Board member role.

This role is designed to give organisations working in the VCSE a stronger voice in shaping inclusive growth across the region.

The Associate Board Member will:

  •  advocate for the VCSE sector
  •  promote inclusion and support under-represented groups
  •  provide expert insight to inform key decisions

The Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “I’m focused on driving inclusive growth in our region that benefits everyone. I’m really keen to ensure that the voice of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector is heard loud and clear on our Board and I encourage members of our VCSE sector to consider putting themselves forward for this very important role.”

The purpose of this important new role on the EMCCA Board, chaired by Mayor Claire, will be to help ensure the voice of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in the East Midlands region is represented on the Board.

The VCSE Associate Board member will be responsible for advocating for the sector, promoting inclusion and addressing the needs of under-represented groups. They will also be expected to draw on their sector expertise to inform decision-making by the EMCCA Board which is chaired by the Mayor.

Through partnerships with key stakeholders across the region, EMCCA has developed a comprehensive set of investment priorities aimed at creating jobs, growing businesses and infrastructure improvements across the region. Its areas of focus will be transport, infrastructure development, housing, delivering on Net Zero goals and economic development. Find out more about the key priorities here: https://www.eastmidlands-cca.gov.uk/what-we-do/

The closing date for expressions of interest is Friday 31 January. Find out more information and how to apply here

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Major boost for a joined up visitor economy strategy for the East Midlands

A new regional approach to delivering a thriving visitor economy across the East Midlands is set to be developed.

In a meeting on Monday 4 November, the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) Board agreed funding of up to £60k to support the joint work of the region’s two Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) to develop a Destination Management Plan for the EMCCA region to add value, strengthen collaboration and avoid duplication.

The approach agreed by the Board focuses on three core elements to boost the visitor economy:

  • By promoting our place and products to deliver enhanced profile, greater reach and more visitors.
  • By developing the offer, working with our stakeholders to improve and increase, for example, hotel accommodation and live venue, conference facilities etc
  • By realising the value of the sector, showing the wider benefits to our region over and above the contribution to our economy.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, has begun a series of engagement events in order to hear directly from key organisations across the sector.

This has included a Derby and Derbyshire-focused meeting hosted by the Devonshire Group at Chatsworth House, an Arts Council-led event in Chesterfield, bringing together representatives from across the culture and heritage sectors, and a Nottingham and Nottinghamshire-focused event hosted at the National Civil War Centre in Newark.

These events provided valuable feedback regarding the challenges and opportunities for organisations in the sector.

There are now two Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) that cover the whole of the EMCCA area, Visit Nottinghamshire and Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby and they are both formally accredited by Visit England. They will work with EMCCA to develop a strategic vision for the region, highlighting all the fundamentals of making our destinations thrive, while supporting local businesses.

The tourism/visitor economy makes a significant contribution to our economy, worth around £5.25bn in 2023 and supporting around 52,000 jobs. The aim is to take up numerous opportunities to grow the value of the sector, both in terms of direct economic impact and wider benefits that support EMCCA’s inclusive growth objectives.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “The Visitor Economy is one of my key priorities because it matters everywhere: to our cities, our market towns, and our rural areas alike.

“This is a vital agenda for the whole region and I’m delighted to lead and strengthen collaboration with our regional partners. Our joined up Destination Management Plan means that we can have more impact, and improve our offer for visitors, residents and grow our economy.”

Jo Dilley of the of the Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby LVEP said: “We’re delighted that East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) recognises the importance of the visitor economy, which is worth £2.89bn to the Peak District and Derbyshire, and are pleased to be working in partnership with Visit Nottinghamshire on joined-up Destination Management Plans that will benefit the entire East Midlands region.

“The visitor economy is a sector that can drive positive change across local communities, providing jobs, boosting investment, and supporting the development of vital infrastructure. By working collaboratively and creating a strong partnership across the Combined Authority, we can offer efficiency of scale and growth for businesses, amplifying key assets across national and international markets. Together, we can deliver a sustainable strategy that provides a strong foundation for the sector’s future growth.”

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes commented: “It is great to see these two Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) working in collaboration to support sustainable growth in tourism and investment in the East Midlands. The local visitor economy will benefit from this joint and stronger regional alignment.

“VisitEngland will continue to work with Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby and Visit Nottinghamshire LVEPs as they develop their collective Destination Management Plan with our expert guidance and resources in areas from product distribution, accessibility and sustainability to business support, funding bids and marketing.”

At the meeting, Board members emphasised the value of the visitor economy and the opportunity we have to grow this. There are great assets already across our area, and by joining up our efforts we can promote an offer that persuades people to visit for longer, spending more in our region and going home having had a great experience and promoting our region.

The Board also noted the vital contribution that will be made by areas such as transport and skills, for which EMCCA is becoming responsible, and the opportunity we now have to make sure our spending and delivery in those areas helps our visitor economy thrive, through promoting the value of jobs and careers in the sector, working with providers to develop a skilled workforce, and helping improve transport connectivity for visitors and those working in the sector.

Visit Chesterfield for a great day out or to stay. Find out more at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/

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