‘Super council’ could be formed to boost region

THE leaders of four regional councils looking to join forces and form a combined authority have issued more details about their plans.

Combined authorities effectively act as a “super-council”, working across county borders.

In a joint statement, the county council leaders of Derbyshire, Councillor Barry Lewis, Leicestershire, Coun Nick Rushton, Lincolnshire’s Coun Martin Hill and Nottinghamshire councillor Kay Cutts, said: “We believe that we can achieve much more if we work together, particularly in the areas of connectivity, trade, investment and growth.

“A recent East Midlands Councils report showed that people in our area get the lowest Government spending on economic development and

transport in the country, with rail expenditure in the region at just £91 per person, compared to £746 per person in London.

“This will remain the case unless we join forces and make our voice heard.

“We really want to work together to grow our economy

so that we build on our strengths and tackle our challenges.

“We would work with our LEPs and Chambers, and would be complementary to the Midlands Engine.

“The next stage in the plans will be to have further detailed talks to see how we can take the Strategic Alliance forward with a view to eventually being able to draw down powers and funding from Government.”

The four authorities have agreed to assign officer time to the cause and come up with more details in the summer.

Leicestershire County Council leader Councillor Nick Rushton said the move could mean big changes across the region.

He explained: “What we’ve agreed to do is look at this and get together a document to see if it’s a runner and approach

James Brokenshire (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government).

“He will almost certainly say yes and tell us to look into it in more detail.

“He may say it will require us having a mayor, he may say you need to include the cities, he may say you can’t do it as a twotier authority, we just don’t know yet.

“We are disadvantaged in the

East Midlands and the the idea is to form something that will counterbalance that.

“Whenever we put bids in, the West Midlands seem to get a disproportionate amount of funding.

“Because they have the West Midlands Combined Authority, they have more clout.

“We’re trying to play the best hand with the cards we’ve dealt.”