Six jobs are being created under plans for a brand new East Midlands authority as councils become "stretched" trying to prepare for its scheduled launch next year. An agreement with Government will see the new East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) being given significant powers in areas ranging from housing to transport, funded to the tune of £38 million a year.
It will be headed up by an elected East Midlands Mayor, with parties having already started the process of selecting their candidates. The authority is due to be officially established next May, though this is dependent on legislation passing through Parliament in time.
But ahead of that expected date, six people are due to be hired on an interim basis to continue making preparations. Documents being presented at a Nottinghamshire County Council cabinet meeting on Thursday (June 22) say: "Over the last year, partners across councils have been working collaboratively to support the significant work required to drive forward a devolution deal.
Leave your messages of condolence for the three people who lost their lives in the tragic Nottingham attacks here.
"Aside from a coordinating programme team, officers across councils working on the programme are doing this on top of their existing day to day responsibilities and resources are stretched. As we move into the next phase of the programme, councils increasingly need dedicated support to be able to maintain momentum and meet Government's requirements."
The four councils who signed the MCCA deal were Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council. As well as the new East Midlands Mayor, the authority is set to contain two members from each of the four signatory councils.
The six new interim roles are due to have been filled by the early summer, with posts including a 'strategy and delivery lead' and an 'investment strategy lead'. The new jobs are being funded by £250,000 of funding that has just been released by Government and those holding them will work on six key requirements that need to have been met by next May.
They include developing a provisional transport plan covering Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, developing a pipeline of housing sites across the area and creating an investment strategy. Despite all the preparations taking place, Nottinghamshire County Council also says there is a risk that legislation will not pass in time and that the establishment of the authority may be delayed.
But the work in getting it set up still needs to take place anyway, creating a risk that this work will not be funded by Government and that the four signatory councils will instead have to pay. The four signatory councils have agreed to equally split this risk, meaning it is worth £364,750 to each of them.
The six interim roles will be established until the end of May next year, with pay being determined at a later date. County council documents add: "These posts are being established to support constituent councils with the necessary preparatory work for a new MCCA.
"However, there is no expectation that these roles will transition into the new authority following royal assent being granted. The Mayor and the new MCCA would develop its own organisational structure and recruit its own team in due course."
Read next:
- Andy Cole opens up on his 'pioneering' dad during his 22 years in Nottinghamshire colliery
- Met Office forecasts 2 hours of thunderstorms to hit Nottingham today
- Armed police response vehicles stop cars in Nottingham street
- Family's tribute to 'man of the house' 15-year-old son and brother who died in River Trent
- Alarming video shows A52 swamped as flash flooding hits busy road
