First East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward celebrates successful inaugural year

After establishing a new authority, securing millions of pounds of investment, and working to put the region on the map, a Mayor is celebrating a successful first year in office.

Today, May 7, marks one year since Labour’s Claire Ward was elected and signed the official declaration to become the first East Midlands Mayor — for the Nottinghamshire, Nottingham, Derby, and Derbyshire East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).

The first year of her four-year term has been spent setting the region up for its future, to help deliver better jobs, better skills, build new homes, improve transport, support a greener East Midlands, and champion the visitor economy.

Ms Ward said: “The first year has been very much setting up the new organisation, I walked through the door and they were still unpacking the boxes of the computers.

“It’s been a big year of establishing the authority, while trying to make some decision that will help us invest into this region. We’ve had some great new opportunities in terms of investment.

Looking to Newark and Sherwood, the Mayor has been working closely with councillors to promote the visitor economy — and as a resident of the district herself, the Mayor is well acquainted with what the area has to offer — as is keen to help put its attractions on the map.

“We’ve got fantastic places to visit in Newark and Sherwood, whether it be Newark itself and the castle, or the beauty of the Trent — or indeed Sherwood Forest and the Robin Hood associations there,” Ms Ward added.

“I’ve put £1m into the local visitor economy partnerships so they can help me build a strategy for Visit East Midlands that will showcase these sorts of places, and help us encourage people not just to visit for the day, but help them to stay over for a night.

“If just 5% of people stayed for one night that would bring an extra £1bn into our economy.”

Other priorities include helping those who live in the region can access better training and jobs.

To support this, the £160 million East Midlands Investment Zone is set to help grow jobs in clean energy, high-tech industries, and advanced manufacturing, while schemes such as the £5 million Youth Guarantee Trailblazer for young people aged 18 to 21, and the £13m-a-year through the new Connect to Work programme for people with long-term health issues are set to help residents access quality work and training.

“I’m really proud of this region, it has so many assets and fantastic people — but I don’t think we make enough of them. Being Mayor means I can bring powers and funding for this region and connect all of those things,” the Mayor added.

“If you live in somewhere like Ollerton or other parts of Newark and Sherwood like the villages, it can be difficult to get around and access the jobs or local colleges, or even to access entertainment. I want to make it easier to move around the region.

“I want them to have the good jobs they need so they do live more comfortably, and they can afford the things their families need.”

Looking forward, the EMCCA is set to take control of the region’s public transport next year, something which it currently supports county councils to run, and it will also continue delivery of major investment schemes — such as the £17m brownfield land scheme for 1,400 new homes, and the £3m mayoral fund to support the region’s most disadvantaged communities.

The mayor has also made it her mission to bring young people into how we make decisions as a region, giving them a seat at the table with the first-ever East Midlands Youth Committee.

“As mayor I’ve got to deliver things in the short term, but a part of this job is to think about the investments we need to make now so that we are delivering opportunities for our children in the next ten, 15, 20 years,” Ms Ward said.

“I’ve got a four year term to make progress on the commitments I made and I think year one has been getting in place the foundations to do that, and I’m really proud of the progress that we’ve made. I’m really excited about what we’ll be able to do in year two, and the partnerships that I’ve built.

“Ultimately we need to put this region first.”