New £750,000 walking and cycling route announced for Staveley

The £750,000 investment is part of a wider £7 million fund announced by the government, which will improve a number of areas across the East Midlands region.

The funding which has been given the green light is part of an early investment offered to our area as part of devolution negotiations. It is not dependent on devolution proposals going ahead.

It is part of £18 million on offer from the government to the region for investment in different projects supporting local priorities, which relate to housing, the environment, infrastructure, skills, and transport in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Nottingham

Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council and Nottingham City Council have been working with the Government on devolution plans including a package of local powers and funding worth £1.14 billion, from 2024. If the plans go ahead, it would also mean a new regional mayor.

The leaders of the 4 councils signed up to work on a devolution deal on 30 August this year at Rolls Royce in Derby. Since August, the councils have developed a more detailed proposal, which includes more information about how devolution would work in our area. The proposal was the subject of a public consultation, which took place from 14 November 2022 to 9 January 2023.

Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “The approval of these projects is a solid example of the benefits that devolution are bringing to our region.

“These schemes will make a measurable difference to people’s quality of life through opportunities to gain new skills, environmental and health benefits from walking and cycling, better housing and new infrastructure. “This is the East Midlands levelling up, and finally getting the benefits that we have missed in the past.”

Devolution would mean a new guaranteed funding stream for our region of £38 million a year over a 30-year period. Covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Nottingham, the devolved area would cover around 2.2 million people, making it one of the biggest in the country.