Broad Marsh might not be a priority for development under new East Midlands Mayor

Nottingham's Broad Marsh site has not been part of a "specific discussion" about the key East Midlands sites that the region's first mayor might want to develop. The former shopping centre will be "in the mix" of options for whoever gets the new job after the May 2 election, but they will be encouraged to go for projects that will benefit as many people across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire as possible.

The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), which the new mayor will lead, has been set up to handle billions of pounds and new powers from Westminster. It means the authority and mayor will be able to take local decisions and deliver projects in areas like housing, transport and jobs.

Mark Rogers, the interim chief executive of the EMCCA, says preparatory work before the mayor takes office has included discussing the development sites that can be brought forward as options for the East Midlands Mayor to work on. Asked whether the Broad Marsh was one of those sites, Mr Rogers said: "It will be in the mix of options but it's not been a subject of specific discussion by the non-mayoral board.

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"A site like the Broad Marsh will be sitting alongside a set of other opportunities that the mayor and the board can make some decisions about. What we're definitely not doing is saying 'we think it should be the Broad Marsh, we think it should be somewhere else'.

"We're saying [to the mayor] in terms of your regional role... the decisions you make about how to spend your money should benefit as much of the region at any one time as possible. We're not trying to do things where everywhere can say 'we got a bit of something'.

"We're looking at things that really leverage skills, employment. [The mayor] will definitely have their own ideas about what to begin with is a modest amount of investment that they can make."

Although work is continuing on the 'Green Heart' element of the Broad Marsh following the demolition of half the former shopping centre, Nottingham City Council has failed to secure investment to complete the whole project from the Government's Levelling Up Fund. Business figures from organisations including Midlands Engine and the East Midlands Chamber have therefore said that the Broad Marsh "has to be" a priority for the EMCCA.

Candidates including Ben Bradley and Claire Ward have also said that if they were elected, the Broad Marsh is a site they would want to see progress on. Speaking about how development sites will be chosen, Mr Rogers added: "We're saying there are options around where you might want to make some of your investment decisions relating to things that are already agreed in principle with government.

"What the board has done at this stage is the high level prioritisation for us. When we sit down with the mayor for the first time, those discussions can then get moving at a much quicker speed."