Councillor Keith Girling, Chairman of the Economic Development and Asset Management Committee at the county council says the organisation is determined to drive the county’s economy forward.
Councillor Girling said:
‘Economic growth means extra jobs, better infrastructure, and increased opportunities. Seizing the fruits of a dynamic economy is even more vital for Nottinghamshire following the Covid-19 crisis and after months of economic uncertainty and toil.
‘Nottinghamshire County Council is determined to play a proactive and lead role in rebuilding our economy county-wide. I’m privileged to be gripping an important lever for delivering this ambition, as chair of the county council’s economic development and asset management committee.
‘My committee, along with the energetic county council leadership, has already had a flying start in trying to secure big money investment for Notts’ economy to grow, succeed and deliver prosperity for our residents.
‘We may have only been elected in May, but all of us feel we haven’t got a second to lose.
‘Last week the county council gave full unequivocal backing to Newark and Sherwood District Council’s bid for £20m from the Government’s new Levelling Up Fund.
‘If successful, the money would pay for finishing the Newark Southern Link Road connecting the A46 at Farndon and the A1 at Fernwood and would unlock employment land and ease horrendous traffic woes.
‘The investment would make a genuine and immediate difference to the area, and that’s why as the Local Highway Authority we wholeheartedly supported our District Council colleagues with the bid.
‘But that’s not all. We also put Nottinghamshire forward for a £12.6m slice of the Government’s new £220m UK Community Renewal Fund.
‘This pot of money aims to help communities with the biggest need to improve skills to help people find work and support the local business recovery.
‘The nine projects we considered as part of the bid will boost jobs, particularly for young people, help businesses to thrive, bring more visitors to Nottinghamshire and help regenerate key communities.
‘We have also continued to be at the forefront of the proposed East Midlands Development Corporation and welcomed the pioneering body’s first chair at the end of last month.
‘Richard Carr will be working closely with the county council to make the DevCo a resounding success. The aim is to generate 84,000 new jobs, 10,000 new homes and add billions to the East Midlands economy in the years to come.
‘There is huge excitement around the DevCo’s undertaking to plan and develop the three major sites centred on the East Midlands Airport area, Toton, and Chetwynd and land around Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station.
‘The scale of all this early activity from Nottinghamshire County Council is a marker of what we hope to achieve in the years ahead – a post-pandemic economy powered by rocket fuel to create growth and success for all our communities.’
