City deals must be used to boost growth, says chamber
Local businesses must be placed at the centre of decision making under the government's new City Deal Initiative, the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce has said.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's announcement aims to shift the power from Whitehall to core cities and major urban areas across the UK.
Nottingham has been named as one of the core cities affected by the plans.
George Cowcher, chief executive of the chamber, said he hoped the benefits of the new powers would spread beyond the city boundaries and have a positive impact on Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire's private sector.
"In order to make this work, it is absolutely crucial that business is placed at the centre of any decision-making processes, along with local control of transport and training in order to create a better environment for private-sector growth," he said.
"It’s also crucial that the new City Deals complement, rather than detract, from the work being carried out by businesses and local authorities via our D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership. Working together in true partnership is key to boosting growth across both counties and the wider region."
