(I’m not from the UK) It makes sense to me. The Midlands is the middle part of England. It was later divided into the West and East Midlands, so you can live in the west side of East Midlands, as well as live in the east side of West Midlands. I think Derby or Leicester would count as “west side of East Midlands”.
I’m struggling to remember where I heard it, but the phrase “west side of the east midlands” is a perfectly cromulant description in the UK.
(I’m not from the UK) It makes sense to me. The Midlands is the middle part of England. It was later divided into the West and East Midlands, so you can live in the west side of East Midlands, as well as live in the east side of West Midlands. I think Derby or Leicester would count as “west side of East Midlands”.