The first formal meeting of the new East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) takes place this week – with council leaders set to discuss an ambitious blueprint for the region’s future.
The EMCAA board, made up of the four leaders and deputy leaders from Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham councils will debate a number of key reports at their first meeting on 20 March.
Reports on the agenda include the EMCCA’s strategic economic framework which outlines an ambitious programme to improve the lives of everyone who lives and works in the region.
The framework focuses on the importance of growing the region’s economy for everyone’s benefit by targeting investment to speed up economic growth, improving transport links to towns, cities and major employers in the East Midlands and working with partners so people can develop key skills needed across the region.
The organisation will work with local authorities, landowners, developers and housing providers to create affordable, good quality housing, and to retrofit existing homes to make them more environmentally sustainable.
It also plans to pioneer new forms of clean energy generation, support work to bring green spaces and nature back into communities and improve health life expectancy, especially in the region’s most disadvantaged communities and places.
The board meeting takes place in Chesterfield ahead of elections for the region’s first Mayor, on Thursday 2 May. Following the elections future board meetings will be chaired by the Mayor.
The board meeting will be followed by an EMCCA launch event in Chesterfield for partners and stakeholders from across the region.
