Derbyshire and Derby have been recognised as national ‘Levelling Up’ leaders with the Government announcing that they had secured a County Deal set to bring substantial investment to the area.
Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council, working alongside eight other district and borough areas, has been awarded ‘pathfinder’ status by the Government as part of the deal – one of the first to be awarded at county level.
Though figures have not yet been announced, the deal will bring extra investment to the area, alongside the transfer of specific powers in areas like transport, bus services, housing and skills from central Government to a local level, giving greater autonomy to local leaders over decision making and funding.
Leader of Derby City Council, Councillor Chris Poulter, said that the announcement was great news for the area, and that the councils now need to negotiate the right deal for the city and county: “This is excellent news for Derby and Derbyshire. We’ve worked closely together to get our county deal on the table – a credit to our partnership working – and now the real work begins as we await conversations with Government officials to understand expectations and agree terms and timescales.
“The councils included in the deal serve over 1.1 million people, and yet so many decisions that directly impact them are being made by central Government. A County Deal for Derby and Derbyshire is our opportunity to reflect our people and businesses through local level decision-making.
“We will now move into negotiations, where all partners will continue to work to ensure the best deal for Derby and Derbyshire. We’re focussing on employment and skills, transport, housing, planning, business support and investment, which we believe are key areas for both the city and county.”
More information is expected from the Government in the coming weeks.
Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis added that the success would improve people’s lives across the county and city. He said: “Today’s County Deal announcement for Derbyshire and Derby is the result of significant and long-term work between councils and wider partners like the NHS and police with a shared focus on improving opportunities, growth and quality of life in our county through our collaborative approach.
“I’m delighted that the Government has recognised our unique partnership offer, and we welcome this significant investment in delivering levelling-up locally by those who know our communities best.
“Derbyshire has been at the forefront of this process over the last couple of years and it’s fantastic to see the hard work come to fruition with this announcement which demonstrates our national reputation as a county that delivers and stand ready to level up for Derbyshire and Derby.”
