Will local voices ever be heard?

Top-down 'plans' for Combined Derbys-Notts Authority are fantasy solutions

As consultations went, this one was really below the radar - and that's probably what the Conservative and Labour council leaders across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire wanted…
The idea of a Combined County Authority spanning existing councils has been mooted for some time, but a half-baked version is now being thrust upon residents of the two counties.
The whole suggestion seems to be based on a top-down approach which succeeds both in interposing an unnecessary layer of government and taking away powers from existing authorities (whose existence, it is suggested, is only 'guaranteed' for 6 more years). It also introduces a new, unchecked tax-raising authority with decision-making concentrated in the hands of one individual - a supreme leader (mayor).
Wrongly named as the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), there doesn't seem to be a precedent for this kind of combined council in such a diverse area - the needs of rural parts of the remote Peak District are far removed from the rolling expanses of southern Notts, or the borders with Lincolnshire, let alone the two cities. Even without its other drawbacks, where is the evidence that this kind of model works in terms of more efficient, democratic delivery of cost-effective services?
Somewhat like the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan 'consultation', the proposal appears fixated on a theoretical and unproven approach to economic growth linked to more top-down housing targets.
It's very hard to see how 'local voices can play a greater role' - even the consultation process hasn't resulted in any public meetings (as promised) let alone constructive, challenging debate.
There's also a concern that the new system will result in existing councils bidding against each other for scarce resources, and eating up time/ personnel/ money in doing so, for relatively small gains (about £1bn a year, spread across everywhere, and presumably taken away from existing central government spend). And existing councillors will be distracted and given extra commitments.
Some Labour politicians suggest that elected mayors give 'greater visibility' to decision making and more 'direct accountability'. Is it not really the case that these unnecessary extra layers of government cake are a distraction from devolving power and cash to existing, struggling councils, which should be made more democratic with fair votes elections, as their counterparts in Scotland (and soon, Wales) have?