New authority as East Midlands prepares to elect mayor

Towns such as Matlock are set to help elect a new East Midlands Mayor

A new East Midlands mayoral authority to cover Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire will be officially created this week.

The new body will eventually be run by an elected mayor, who the public will choose on 2 May.

The move could unlock significant investment for the region, it has been claimed.

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire county councils and the city authorities in Nottingham and Derby have all backed the devolution deal.

The councils will continue to exist, but the deal with the government will move significant powers such as planning, infrastructure and economic development from Westminster to an elected mayor.

A board of leading political and managerial figures, set to meet officially for the first time on 20 March, will run the new authority until the East Midlands Mayor is elected.

The creation of the authority means it will be able to start hiring and making decisions in preparation, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The board currently includes the leaders, deputy leaders and chief executives of the four member councils, alongside several district council leaders and David Williams, chairman of law firm Geldards, as a business representative.

The devolution deal guarantees £38m per year for the next 30 years, and the government has promised an additional £1.5bn in transport funding.

The candidates for the mayoral election currently include Nottinghamshire County Council leader, councillor and Mansfield MP Ben Bradley (Conservative), former MP Clare Ward (Labour), councillor Matt Relf (Independent), Frank Adlington-Stringer (Green) and Derby mayor councillor Alan Graves (Reform).

A vote to choose a police and crime commissioner for Nottinghamshire will also be held alongside the 2 May mayoral poll.