The East Midlands mayor has insisted there are “lots of places” where 100,000 new homes could be built across the region.
Labour regional Mayor Claire Ward announced an “ambitious” 10-year-plan to improve living standards across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
The long term vision aims “to deliver inclusive growth that raises prosperity and opportunity for all” and to put thousands more pounds into people’s pockets. It also sets a target of building 100,000 new homes.
The strategy also includes plans to create the “Trent Arc” – a tram network linking both Derby and Nottingham and creating thousands of jobs in the process.
Overall, the growth plan sets out an ambition for the next decade to deliver:
- £13 billion uplift in regional economic output
- 60,000 more people in work – with an 80 per cent employment rate
- 210,000 more residents with skilled qualifications
- 100,000 more homes built
- £2 billion-plus investment in new and improved transport infrastructure
The Mayor was asked where the 100,000 more homes would be built.
It has been well documented that Derby City Council is short on its five-year housing supply target due to the city’s condensed nature. It has been reported it is requiring help from other nearby councils to find land available.
In Nottinghamshire, plans have recently been set out where thousands of new homes could be built.
Ms Ward responded: “100,000 homes across the region. There are lots of places where homes could be developed. We are looking at different options according to need.
“A brownfield housing fund is going to open up new homes in some of our towns and cities in places that were derelict buildings, for example, or old industrial units. That’s really thinking differently about the way we bring homes into our region.”
The strategy also includes a plan to increase the average income “per resident” by £5,700. This is hoped to be done by bringing in economic investment, bringing 60,000 more people into work and increasing opportunities for people to gain skilled qualifications.
The Mayor was asked if all these plans, in reality, can be delivered and whether they were “too ambitious”.
Speaking at a launch event in Derby, Ms Ward added: “I’m ambitious. If you don’t set out your stall and be ambitious you don’t get anywhere. I am absolutely set on achieving that.
“I don’t think you can ever be too ambitious. Let me be clear, even if we got halfway or close towards it (the plans) I’d still be very happy to stand on that record.
“I think if people thought I was just picking projects with no big plan, they would not be very impressed. We are almost 18-months old and had to set up an authority from scratch and we’ve had to set up all the plans and frameworks we need.
“As you’ll see investment is already coming and more investment will be coming in the next few months. We need to see wages increasing in this region so that people are able to afford a much better standard of living.”