Derby set to benefit from £2bn investment in region’s infrastructure

Derby is set to benefit from up to £2 billion of Government cash to improve the region’s infrastructure.

East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, the figurehead of the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), recently announced she had secured the cash through the new Transport for City Regions Fund.

Hailed as the largest transport investment in the region for a generation, the funding will be used to deliver a modern, reliable, and integrated transport system across the region, with a particular focus on reducing congestion and improving connectivity between areas that have little or no transport provision at all.

Among the projects to be supported by the cash will be to improve public transport links between Derby and Nottingham, boosting key employment sites such as the Infinity Park Derby Investment Zone.

According to EMCCA, the agreement, which is for five years and follows extensive negotiations with the Government, will act as the launchpad for a major renewal in the region’s fortunes.

It said the programme has the potential to unlock 100,000 new jobs, deliver 52,000 homes, and generate a £4.6 billion boost to the UK economy.

A key project for Derby that will be supported by the money is The Trent Arc, which will see the development of a large-scale public transport system linking Derby and Nottingham, strengthening the Trent Arc corridor, a key growth zone for the region.

EMCCA has said that the Trent Arc is one of the East Midlands’ most immediate and investable opportunities.

Spanning two cities, the Freeport, and sites like the Infinity Park Investment Zone and Ratcliffe-on-Soar, it will deliver 40,000 new jobs, 30,000 homes, and contribute £2.4 billion to the UK economy.

The funding will also support improved rail, road and bus connections throughout the corridor, including access to the East Midlands Freeport and the East Midlands Intermodal Park, home to major employers like Toyota Manufacturing UK.

Mayor Claire said: “We’re getting to work straight away. That means strengthening the rail, road and bus links between Derby and Nottingham, the vital Trent Arc.

“It means delivering long-overdue projects like the Chesterfield-Staveley Relief Route and finally addressing congestion pinch points like the A614/A6097 in north Nottinghamshire.

“I look forward to working with partners across the East Midlands to deliver these improvements.

“Better transport doesn’t just move people. It powers opportunity, unlocks growth, and connects us to a better future.”