£66m investment unlocking new homes, jobs and greener growth across the East Midlands

Credit: Onclusive News

More than £66 million is being invested to bring brownfield sites forward, regenerate town centres and help businesses grow and create jobs across the East Midlands.

The investment by the Mayor of the East Midlands, through the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), includes more than £43m for projects supporting economic growth, alongside £23m to help bring forward new homes across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Projects range from bringing brownfield sites back into use and regenerating town centres to developing business and employment sites, supporting local firms and creating opportunities for new industries.

The investment forms part of £320.83m committed by EMCCA across 25 funding programmes, covering skills, transport, housing, economic growth, community development and the environment.

Mayor Claire Ward said: “We need more homes people can afford, good jobs and opportunities for local businesses to grow. Our investment is helping bring forward the sites and projects that can make a real difference to communities across the East Midlands.

“Every place has its own needs and ambitions. In some areas, that means bringing former industrial sites back into use or giving town centres a new lease of life. In others, it means preparing sites for new homes or creating space for businesses to expand. I want to make sure investment reaches communities across our region and supports the things that matter to local people.

“There’s some really good work happening across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. I want to see that work translate into more homes, new jobs and better opportunities for people and businesses, in our towns and cities and in our rural communities too.”

The £23m investment to unlock new homes includes almost £10m from the Brownfield Housing Fund, which pays for work needed to prepare previously developed land for housing, including sites that are difficult or costly to develop.

Projects are being supported in Chesterfield, Mansfield, Newark, Warsop and Nottingham.

A further £11.4m from the investment fund will support new homes including enabling works to develop sites in Derby city centre and the Broad Marsh scheme in Nottingham.

Further projects being supported include Newark Castle, Stapleford Pencil Works and Ashbourne Reborn.

Business and employment sites receiving investment include Infinity Park Derby, Ashfield Automation Park and the Derbyshire Rail Industry Innovation Vehicle (DRIIVe), near Staveley.

The projects form part of six growth areas identified in EMCCA’s Corporate Plan, each reflecting the different economies, communities and opportunities found across the region. Together, they cover urban centres, former mining and industrial communities, rural areas and locations with potential to develop new clean energy industries.

The £66m investment is part of a wider programme spanning all six of the Corporate Plan ambitions: growth and opportunity; green growth and environment; skills; connected communities; homes and place; and health and wellbeing.

The first consolidated delivery report, approved by the EMCCA Board on Monday 12th October, sets out progress across 248 projects in the authority’s investment pipeline, with a combined value of £370.2m.

Of these, 187 schemes have been approved, contracted and moved into delivery, representing £320.8m in committed EMCCA investment. A further 32 projects are in the later stages of assurance and are expected to move into delivery in the coming months.

The report also sets out plans to develop the authority’s performance reporting, with future updates providing a clearer picture of what projects have delivered against their expected outcomes, including new homes, jobs and commercial space.

EMCCA is developing an interactive online map of funded projects to help residents see where investment is being made across the East Midlands.