By George Torr & Hugh Casswell

BBC News, East Midlands

Six candidates wanting to become the first mayor of the East Midlands came together to pitch their offer to voters.

A number of topics were discussed and debated, with valuable input from residents themselves.

The role brings in devolved funding worth £1.14bn over the next 30 years with a range of powers.

But what did we learn from it? Here are the main takeaways.

The East Midlands needs a boost

Across the debate, there seemed to be a broad consensus that the East Midlands feels like it has been left behind.

It would be hard to argue against that. Consistently, the region has seen some of the lowest public spending per head in the whole country.

In the Treasury's latest country and regional analysis, the lowest total spend per head was in the East Midlands, and then the South East, at £11,225 and £11,244 per head respectively.

So it will come as no great surprise to hear various candidates speaking about the need to boost the local economy and bring in more investment.

What there is less consensus on, however, is if the mayor will be the silver bullet to fix all that.

It has taken years to get a devolution deal for the region, but even now - in the build-up to polling day on 2 May - there is still no agreement over whether or not it will be the answer.

Potholes are high on the agenda

It is no secret that a big power the new mayor will have is over public transport in the region.

They could, in theory, expand the tram to Derby and Derbyshire, and overhaul the bus network through franchising. This will give the mayor the ability to decide how the routes, fares and timetables look, and to reinvest money from profitable bits of the network to less profitable ones.

However, while buses were brought up, the transport section of the debate was dominated by potholes.

They were brought up time and time again by voters, when BBC reporters went out and about across the region.

Some candidates offered road resurfacing programmes - but highways are controlled by county councils, and the mayor will need to work with them.

Nottingham's trams are popular, but are they popular enough to extend?

When the government announced it was scrapping HS2 beyond Birmingham, it said the East Midlands mayor would be able to decide how to spend £1.5bn of the money saved.

The Department for Transport suggested it could go on extending the Nottingham tram network - albeit with a bit of a blunder in the accompanying documents.

And there were warm words about the tram during the debate, with Reform UK candidate Alan Graves going as far as to say "people in Derby are quite envious of the fact Nottingham's got trams".

What we did not hear, though, was a firm commitment from any one candidate that they would extend the network.

It also did not feature in Conservative Ben Bradley's "four key transport priorities", and Labour's Claire Ward said while it was an "ambition", she would want to see a business case.

It could be that it is simply too expensive. The last extension cost in the region of £570m - and that was the 2011 price.

So wherever a hypothetical tram extension went, it would take a pretty huge chunk out of that precious transport fund.

The candidates played down the Nottinghamshire-Derbyshire divide

The two counties are historic rivals, in terms of sport, culture - and arguably identity. But according to the candidates, the areas have more in common than they have differences.

One candidate is offering a tourism campaign to highlight both areas, another said the role brought the counties closer together - while a third said talk of a split was "unfair".

Voters, meanwhile, said the area the mayor was representing might too big - or that the job is too much. The mayor could be in Glossop, near Manchester, in the morning, and East Leake in Nottinghamshire by the afternoon. A journey of roughly 75 miles.

Legendary football manager Brian Clough - former boss of Nottingham Forest and Derby County - was one person who managed to be revered in both areas. The new mayor may need to summon the spirit of "Old Big 'Ead'" himself - once they have their feet under the table.

The candidates (in alphabetical order):

A Mayor for the East Midlands, a special programme broadcast on BBC One on Wednesday, can be viewed in full here.

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New research from Midlands Connect suggests Derby and Derbyshire remain on track for an EV (electric vehicle) boom and could see just under 66,000 electric cars on its streets by the end of the decade, with a significant increase in public EV charge points needed to keep up with demand. The new projections were announced today at Midlands Connect’s EV Conference.

Figures suggest Derby and Derbyshire will see a 440% increase in uptake in electric vehicles by the end of 2030, with projections predicting to rise from 12,216 EVs today to 65,915 on its roads by the end of 2030.

New research forecasts have shown Derby and Derbyshire require a further 6,949 public charging points by 2030 to support the increase in EV use over the next decade, an 1,534% increase from the 453 chargers existing across the region today.

Estimates suggest that by 2030, the Midlands could be home to over 2million EVs, with just under one in three (32.5%) vehicles being electric. To support this growing number of EVs, 58,997 new public EV charging points must be installed across the Midlands by the end of the decade. This means installing 27 new electric vehicle charging points every day, 194 per week, and 9,832 per year until the end of 2030.

The work is part of the Sub-national Transport Body’s efforts to support Local Authorities in increasing EV charger roll-out. In September 2023, it partnered with 14 Local Authorities for a total of £40.3million of Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to be part of consortium approach, accounting for 61% of the regions £66.5million funding.

The figures were announced at Midlands Connect’s EV Conference today, which brought together senior leaders and policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Electric Vehicle industry. Discussions included hearing from firms manufacturing EVs; electrifying fleets of vehicles and ensuring that electrified transport is accessible to everyone.

Commenting on the research, Midlands Connect’s​ CEO, Maria Machancoses, said:

It’s clear Derby and Derbyshire is still on the brink of a boom in Electric Vehicles, that could see just under 66,000 electric cars on its streets by the end of decade.

Local Authorities across the Midlands are doing a great job to roll out charging points, but they cannot do this alone. We’re already working with Local Authorities to support their work and help secure EV infrastructure funding from Government.

Our conference allowed us to bring together many different aspects of the EV industry, including Government, to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead. We want to make the Midlands the home of the green industrial revolution.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said:

We welcome this valuable research from Midlands Connect which qualifies the actions we're taking to meet this projected demand.

We’re committed to providing convenient, comprehensive, and cost-effective charging solutions for road users in Derbyshire and are progressing several projects in this area.

We’re providing solutions for those without off street parking by developing a network of slow chargers utilising existing street lights. This solution is perfect for overnight residential use and we’re working with residents to locate suitable sites where there is demand. We’re also exploring opportunities to develop Rapid and Ultra rapid charging hubs, through private sector partnerships, to keep commercial fleet operational.

But we can’t do this alone. Obviously, we need to work in partnership with private sector providers to roll out charging infrastructure in Derbyshire at pace and we’re currently in conversations with industry with a view to installing the next phase later this year.

Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability at Derby City Council said:

In Derby, we’re on a journey to grow the range of transport choices available to citizens and increasing and enhancing electric vehicle infrastructure is a huge part of this.

This new data reaffirms what we already know - that many of Derby’s citizens are planning to make the switch to electric vehicles over the next few years and we’re working hard to make this as easy as possible for them.

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Plans for a new development near an M1 service station in Derbyshire have been revealed. The giant commercial scheme at Markham Vale would see the creation of a new 'Trade Park'.

The project, which could create more than 100 new jobs, is designed for trade counter businesses - where goods are sold to businesses at reduced prices - as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. An initial planning application has been submitted for the 31,264 sq ft development.

The scheme, developed by property developer HBD, already has one pre-let under offer to a national operator in a deal that could create around 16 full-time jobs. Markham Vale is a flagship 200-acre industrial and logistics scheme delivered in joint venture between HBD and Derbyshire County Council.

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Vivienne Clements, executive director at HBD, said: “The Trade Park will be the newest addition to Markham Vale aiming to accommodate trade occupiers and smaller business who want to benefit from the scheme’s prominence and accessibility to the surrounding demographic. The Trade Park will provide much-needed Grade A space, allowing smaller trade businesses to operate from energy-efficient buildings in a prime business location.

“The job creation element is also significant, with the potential to provide 100 full-time jobs. Almost 20 years after development began, Markham Vale remains one of HBD’s most successful projects and we’ve no doubt this latest addition will see strong interest from potential occupiers looking for well-located, high-quality space in an area with a strong local labour market.”

Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, said: “This is a fantastic addition to Markham Vale bringing more jobs to the area and opportunities for small businesses, as well as providing a supplies hub to trades operating in the area. We’re proud of the positive impact Markham Vale continues to have on the local economy and this announcement sends yet another strong signal to other investors that Derbyshire is a place that helps businesses to survive and thrive.

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After Derby County secured their promotion back to the Championship, Pride Park quickly became the centre of one hell of a party. Thousands of fans had streamed onto the pitch, the champagne corks popped and the players were deservedly on the beer after writing themselves into the history books.

While this was all going on, an exhausted and emotional Paul Warne went to thank David Clowes for believing in him before he took the club's owner into the dressing room as the joyful carnage continued. But Derby's head coach was not quite prepared for what he witnessed as the door opened.

"I had to come down to get the lads out of the changing rooms, I took David in and it was like a scene from the Hangover," he joked. "There were bodies everywhere. People jumping, booze everywhere, nakedness. And I'm saying 'look, you have got to come back out'. I walked in with the owner to say 'these are my amazing athletes, just look at them' and most were already on their fifth beer."

Derby County have made a triumphant return to the Championship, securing their spot with a 2-0 victory over Carlisle.

Max Bird's stunning sixth-minute goal set the Rams off on the right foot, with Paul Warne's squad needing only a draw to ensure they finished second, behind champions Portsmouth.

The match was a fitting send-off for Bird, who is set to join Bristol City in the summer after being with Derby since he was 10. Carlisle did pose some challenges for Derby, but Collins sent the Rams into ecstasy in the second half with a volley from Sonny Bradley's knockdown.

Pride Park erupted in joy at the final whistle, with fans storming the pitch to celebrate their first promotion since Billy Davies guided the Rams to the Premier League in 2007.

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After what has been a long nine months and achieving their mission of returning the club to the second tier two years after its darkest chapter, the players deserve to savour every last drop of the celebrations after a magnificent campaign.

The spirit they have fostered over a long and exhausting season has been formidable, a brothers-in-arms mentality that has closed the chapter on their stay in League One quicker than many anticipated.

Once Pride Park had returned to normality and having been hoisted onto shoulders like Gods, the squad made its way into town where the fans were toasting a story that will be passed down generations.

Social media footage showed Eiran Cashin singing 'do you know what is what, the Rams are going up." Louie Sibley and others had their pictures taken with supporters and they are the kind of scenes you never want to end.

Remarkably they were back out today as Instagram footage showed Jake Rooney whipping out an acoustic guitar as he went on to expertly play Wonderwall by Oasis as the players began to warm their vocals. They are ready to enjoy themselves again and who could blame them? Some players go through their careers without winning anything, a point that Warne has continually reinforced during the season.

He remembers the time he won promotion with Rotherham and how teammates became friends eternally linked through what they achieved on the pitch. This is now that moment for the Derby class of 2023-24, a group that Warne said has been a joy to manage. He said they had also not been late once for a team meeting which showed the mark of respect they had for the club and its staff.

Wherever fate takes them after the euphoria of promotion to the Championship finally dies down, they will always have a bond and memories that will live forever.

The scenes in Derby County's dressing room mirrored those out in the stands at Pride Park by 2:30pm on Saturday. The Rams are back in the Championship after a two-year absence - and they celebrated accordingly. Derby needed a point on the final day against already relegated Carlisle United, but they proceeded to ease past their visitors, thanks namely to an early strike from the departing Max Bird and then James Collins rounded it off in the second half.

Paul Warne will, this summer, work with the Rams hierarchy as they set about preparing for what lies ahead and the Championship challenges that the club are all too well aware of, but for now a period of time is afforded to reflecting on the success and what has been achieved over a 46-game stretch, across which the club have averaged two points a game.

Many players celebrated with beers in the aftermath of the victory on Saturday lunch-time and some partied into the early hours of Sunday. A host of squad members also took to social media to share in the triumph with supporters and pay tribute to the group which has, at the second attempt, escaped League One.

READ: I saw Derby get promoted at Pride Park for the first time - now David Clowes needs to do this

READ: Derby County promotion is for everyone who pours their heart and soul into the club

Eiran Cashin posted 'Up the rams!!', while Louie Sibley similarly, if not a little more expletively posted 'Up the f****** rams!!!!!!!!!!!'. Ryan Nyambe, who has been out injured since February, said' Special Club @dcfcofficial' and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing posted a photo of himself with teammate Callum Elder, with the caption: 'Dreams worth more than money'.

Martyn Waghorn, who celebrated with his family pitchside, added: 'Rams are going up - Some team', while Conor Hourihane echoed those sentiments: 'Special season with a special group of men'. Bird himself, who featured in a Rams shirt for the final time on Saturday before he takes his leave and makes the switch to Bristol City, poignantly added via a graphic on Instagram: 'Promotion - Thank you for everything'.

Which out of contract players would you keep on? Tell us in the comments here