District and borough councils in Leicestershire have announced they will be taking forward discussions about creating an East Midlands Combined Authority after the Government welcomed the idea.
The seven Leicestershire councils wrote to the secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, in January in support of devolution and to make clear their willingness to work with the Government on its devolution framework.
The secretary of state has responded saying that he recognised the councils’ ambition for an East Midlands Combined Authority and welcomed the idea. He also said it could involve all councils from Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire and could be led by an elected mayor if that was the local choice.
The leaders of Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire and Oadby and Wigston councils welcomed the Government’s support and said they will be pursuing the idea of creating a combined authority.
Mr Jenrick also suggested to the council leaders that if they wished to take it forward, then they should enter into a discussion with other council leaders to develop a proposal that would provide a stable, efficient and accountable form of governance.
