Public undecided after devolution consultation

The leaders of all four councils signed up to work on a devolution deal last year

Proposals for a new elected East Midlands mayor have failed to win overall public support in a devolution consultation.

The consultation found 45% of the 4,869 people surveyed did not want a directly-elected mayor for the region but 42% supported the idea.

The remaining 13% said they "did not know" if they supported the plan.

The £1.14bn devolution deal involves city and county councils in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Amended proposals

The consultation ran from November to January after leaders of all four councils signed up to work on a deal last year when the government offered the area a package of new powers and funding.

The region would receive an income of £38m a year over a 30-year period as part of the proposals.

As well as a new regional mayor, it would also see the creation of a combined authority.

Comments in the consultation raised concerns about how the new combined authority would be run, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

As part of the consultation, 53% of respondents agreed with the deal's plans to invest money in new transport schemes, compared with 35% who disagreed.

The survey also found 52% of those who took part were supportive of investment plans for education and skills, compared with 32% who were against those plans.

The four councils must now accept the consultation results to allow amended proposals for the deal to be drawn up.

The mayoral election could take place in May 2024 providing the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill is passed through Parliament, allowing for the new combined authority to be created.

'Command-and-control'

Ben Bradley, Conservative MP for Mansfield and the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "It's only 4,800 residents in a population of 2.2 million and I don't think you can draw from this that residents are against [having a mayor].

"For us, this is a learning exercise and now we're going to deal with some of the concerns residents have raised to us.

"Overall, the consultation agreed with our priorities for the wider deal, which vindicates our decision to take this forward."

Councillor Kate Foale, leader of the Labour group at County Hall, said: "It's not surprising East Midlands residents disapprove of being forced to adopt a mayor.

"But clearly it's the only way to benefit from the government's top-down approach to devolution.

"The whole process smacks of the same old 'command-and-control' from Westminster.

"Given the Conservatives are unlikely to allow this consultation to alter their plans, it will be up to residents to make their voices heard at the ballot box."