A proposal to create a Combined Authority able to make decisions for the whole of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – which is being backed by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – has been formally submitted to Government.
The nine Nottinghamshire councils, including Nottingham City Council, consulted the public on the idea for an ‘N2’ Combined Authority earlier this year (2015), and have just submitted a final proposal to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The ten local authorities covering Derby and Derbyshire submitted their proposal for a ‘D2’ Combined Authority earlier this month (April).
A Combined Authority is a statutory body which can take collective decisions on behalf of all its member councils regarding matters such as transport, regeneration and economic development.
Ian Curryer and Jon Collins at Nottingham Station holding copies of the D2N2 Devolution Prospectus
The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – a partnership of business, local authorities and universities which promotes economic growth in the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire area – is backing the two Combined Authority plans. They are the first two in the country to be formally submitted to Government, outside of the metropolitan authority areas.
Combined Authority running costs should be met from existing local authority budgets. The ability of a Combined Authority to make collective decisions for individual councils aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of decision making.
Having Combined Authority status is a prerequisite if councils in the D2N2 catchment are to eventually gain Devolution; which would move decision-making powers (and funding) on skills and employment, training, transport, housing, business investment and other matters from central Government to the local area.
D2N2 is also backing the area’s Devolution campaign, and its Chairman Peter Richardson joined a delegation of local authority and business leaders which travelled to London to lobby Ministers on the issue last month (March). Mr Richardson has called the ideas in the area’s Devolution Prospectus, which has now been submitted to Government, a potential “game changer”.
The two new Combined Authorities which Derby and Derbyshire, and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, are currently working towards will need to be approved by Government, after the General Election, before time is then set aside in Parliament to sign off two official order to create the new bodies.
It is unlikely that the Combined Authorities would come into effect before December this year (2015). It’s thought the two Combined Authorities would not have Devolution powers, if these are agreed, until 2017 at the earliest.
For more information about the progress of the D2 Combined Authority proposal see Derbyshire County Council web link http://derbyshire.gov.uk/ca
To view the full Devolution Prospectus for the D2N2 area see web link www.d2n2lep.org/News/d2n2-devolution-prospectus/101583
For more information on this media release or D2N2’s work contact Sean Kirby, D2N2 Communications Officer, on 0115 9578749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
