County Deal set to boost Derby and Derbyshire

Substantial investment could be on its way to Derbyshire and Derby after the Government announced that they had secured a ‘County Deal’ as part of its Levelling Up strategy.

Last week, it was announced that Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council, working alongside eight other district and borough areas, had 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 is expected to 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.

Councillor Chris Poulter, leader of the city council, 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.

He said: 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.

“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.”

Councillor Barry Lewis, leader of the county council, said: “The 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.”

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, the city’s inward investment agency, said: “We are strong supporters of any move to decentralise and welcome greater control of resources being delegated to local levels.

“The White Paper recognises the importance of pride in place, and we will continue to work very closely with both the city and county councils in attracting jobs and investment.”