Step change planned for East Midlands growth

The Inclusive Growth Commission, launched by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) in 2024, has published its interim report with recommendations to transform the East Midlands economy.

The Commission was tasked by the Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, with generating ambitious, long-term plans to drive prosperity and reduce inequalities across the region.

It calls for a step change in investment in the East Midlands, underpinned by strengthened devolved powers to better reflect the needs and opportunities of the region and to realise its untapped potential.

Mayor Claire Ward said “I became Mayor precisely because I know that there is potential in every part of this region that can be unleashed.

“We know how important economic growth is, but it is also important that we hold that growth to high standards: it should enable people to live healthy, fulfilling lives as part of connected communities and thriving places. This is easy enough to say, but we must work and invest differently to bring this about in practice – and that change will take sustained effort on our part.”

At an event this week held at NTU’s Mansfield University Centre, invited guests, including representatives from Marketing Derby, Derby City Council, Geldards, Derby Cathedral, Derby College Group and the University of Derby, heard interim findings from co-hosts Andy Haldane, chair of the Commission and CEO of the Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) and Mayor Claire.

The commission is drawing on the East Midlands’ unique geography and economic landscape that will shape its final report, and subsequent strategy, to be published in September 2025.

It acknowledges the historic underinvestment that has put the East Midlands on the back foot, with public spending per person being the lowest in the UK, and called for more investment to be committed in the government’s next spending review.

Speaking at the event, Mayor Claire told attendees: “When EMCCA was established, we set about creating a mission for inclusive growth which is genuinely shaping everything we do. What we’ve had before simply hasn’t delivered for the region.”

Underpinning the commission’s interim recommendations was the concept of an “opportunity escalator” – an integrated approach combining practical, step-by-step skills development with work experience and career guidance to help more people onto and up an escalator of well-paid, secure jobs across the region.

The commission said that creating these jobs must go beyond simply bolstering the high-tech, high-growth industries set out in the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper.

A truly inclusive growth strategy must sit alongside a plan to nurture a broader range of industries that offer large numbers of secure and rewarding job opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, construction, health and social care, and modern services, including the visitor economy.

Hosting the session, new chief executive of EMCCA, Amy Harhoff said: “The challenge is to ensure that growth impacts positively on our places, people and communities.”

Andy Haldane, said: “The East Midlands has all the ingredients for economic success—an innovative business community, strong leadership, and a deep well of talent. But unlocking that potential requires more power to be put into local hands, combined with the resources they need to forge a lasting strategy for growth”.

To realise the untapped potential of the region, the commission argued that the Combined Authority needs to quickly be placed on a fast-track for more powers, funding and flexibility, like those seen in places like Greater Manchester.

The next phase of work will involve collaboration and engagement with businesses, community leaders, and residents and to help determine where more than £4bn of public investment will be spent.

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby who was at the event commented; “We hosted a Bondholder Focus Group at the Derby City Lab as a contribution to the work and support Mayor Claire’s desire to use the devolution process to help fix decades of government underinvestment in our region.

“Achieving growth is a significant challenge, making that growth inclusive will be even harder, and our view is that key will be using place-based growth as a catalyst to benefit the wider region.”

Read the report here.