Gedling Borough Council has formally signed up to be part of the Derby Nottingham Metro Strategy which is strengthening co-operation between councils and businesses in the area to benefit local residents.
Over the last year, initiatives launched as part of the Metro Strategy have included Derby and Nottingham residents being able to access council library, gym and swim facilities in either city. The city councils have also joined forces on a combined commercial waste service bringing efficiencies and income generating opportunities to help maintain vital services.
A report by leading national consultancy Metro-Dynamics highlighted that closer joint working across the wider Derby and Nottingham area could provide an £11 billion boost to the local economy by 2030.
Gedling Borough Council Leader, Councillor John Clarke, said: “I’m very pleased as Leader of Gedling Borough Council to be signing the Metro strategy. This will benefit many of our residents who work in the city and in Derby. It will be an opportunity for us to work together on projects and explore funding opportunities which could ultimately save money and improve services for all our residents.”
Key business leaders have also given their backing to the Metro Strategy with Boots, Rolls-Royce, Toyota, East Midlands Airport, Trent Barton and the Federation of Small Businesses along with the Universities of Derby, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent joining a new Metro Growth Board.
The Derby Nottingham Metro Strategy was launched in April 2017 after consultation confirmed public support for it with three quarters of people agreeing both cities would benefit from working together more closely. It sets out a vision of what the area could look like by 2030 focusing on five key themes:
- Metro Enterprise – promoting Derby and Nottingham world-wide, supporting businesses to innovate and find new markets
- Metro Talent – ensuring a suitably skilled workforce through education and training
- Connected Metro – better transport links to improve accessibility
- Metro Living – supporting a modern urban lifestyle and vibrant city centres through leisure, culture and sport
- Efficient Metro – joint working to protect and improve public services
Nottingham City Council Leader, Councillor Jon Collins, said: “It makes sense for local councils and businesses across the Metro area to work closely together on a wide range of issues. The Metro Strategy is about creating a ‘coalition of the willing’ in order to bring about real benefits to local residents.
“The work done so far has already shown what can be achieved though greater co-operation. But, as the Metro Dynamics report highlighted, there is potential to do much more by working across the wider Metro area so hopefully Gedling Borough Council coming on board is just the start.”