Mansfield and Ashfield voters just days away from key decision which will open the door to a multi-billion-pound investment in their future

The major boost to the regional economy is being handed over by government to fire up the new East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), which is being set up to invest in the long-term future of Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham.

And the EMCCA will be led by the first ever directly-elected Mayor of the East Midlands, with people in Mansfield and Ashfield and across the wider region urged to decide who the Mayor will be by voting on Thursday, 2 May.

The team involved in setting up the EMCCA says the vote for a mayor will be decisive in opening the door to increased investment across the region that is tailored to the needs of people and businesses based here.

Amanda Mays, Interim Operations and People Lead at the EMCCA, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the people of Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham.

“The region is being given powers it has not had before and control over a level of funding that will enable long-term improvement in the performance of the regional economy and the prosperity of its people.

“The introduction of an elected Mayor also means that the East Midlands joins regions who can go to government and speak with one voice when we get round the naLonal table and make the case for greater investment.

“This is a big decision about a major change, and we are urging people to exercise their right and vote in the election on Thursday 2 May.”

The launch of EMCCA and the Mayor of the East Midlands also means that the area will be lifted on to a level footing with surrounding regions like the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire. They already have Mayors and have been given powers previously held by government to invest multi-billion sums to grow their economy at regional level.

For the East Midlands, those powers will enable decisions to be made here in the region - rather than down in London - about the skills people have, the transport they rely on, where housing and regeneration takes place, and equipping the regional economy for net zero.

The EMCCA will not replace the work of existing local councils, which are set-up to deliver specific local services to defined areas, and nor will it take money away from their budgets.

Instead, it will invest in areas where the region as a whole has common opportunities and shared challenges, such as a strong advanced manufacturing sector and a number of deprived communities.

The EMCCA’s investment priorities, which have been agreed with government, include:

• Skills and adult education – working with employers and skills providers to ensure people develop skills that enable them to access fulfilling careers.

• Homes – working with local authorities, landowners, developers and housing providers to create affordable, good quality homes and retrofit existing homes to make them more environmentally sustainable.

• Transport – working with local and national transport providers to improve infrastructure and services in a way that best serves the region’s needs.

• Net zero – invest in new forms of clean energy and develop a clear path for the region to achieve net zero

The money government is giving to the EMCCA, which totals more than £4bn, is also expected to open up greater investment from both business and government by enabling specific developments and helping the local economy function better.

Mark Rogers, interim Chief Executive of the EMCCA, added: “Our message to people in Mansfield and Ashfield is simple: it’s your region, your mayor and your vote. This is not just another layer of local government but a way of bringing back powers to the East Midlands and using them in a way that suits people here, rather than a one-size-fits-all national policy.

“So the mayor and the EMCCA will be able to tailor skills training to the needs of our businesses, join the dots between transport networks across Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham, enable housing and development where we need it and capitalise on the net zero expertise in our universities to get the economy match-fit for a low carbon future. Whoever people choose, the new mayor will have one overriding objective – to grow the East Midlands economy faster through targeted long-term investment.”