Foord slams Govt for ‘abandoning’ South West in Levelling-up funding row

Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord has criticised the Conservatives for continuing to take the South West for granted as the third round of Levelling-up funding saw just three projects having their bid approved, with no additional cash for Cornwall.

The new round of funding saw £1bn handed out to enable 55 projects across England, Scotland and Wales. Unlike the two previous allocations, there was no opportunity to submit new bids – with successful projects being drawn from previously unsuccessful bids.

One project was selected for funding from each of the local authority areas in Somerset, Torbay and Plymouth. Yet vast swathes of the South West were overlooked. The whole of Cornwall and large chunks of Devon were overlooked, with Mid-Devon’s bid for funding to build the much-needed Cullompton Relief Road once again spurned.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Levelling-up Minister Jacob Young listed five regions of England in the north and midlands that had benefited from the funding, but failed to mention the South West at all. Tiverton & Honiton MP Richard Foord hit out at the Government’s failure to level-up the South West.

Mr Foord also highlighted that the Conservatives should not claim to be focused on Levelling-up when Conservative-led Devon County Council “cannot even level-up the potholes”. Foord is calling for more funding to be invested in the South West, to deliver on vital projects.

Commenting on the announcement, Richard Foord MP said:

“The Conservative Government’s claim to be Levelling-up the South West is a sham. This new announcement today did not see a single project in Cornwall or in my corner of Devon given any new funding.

“Our rural communities in the West Country have been given the cold shoulder and means all the work put in to producing these bids by local authorities has amounted to nothing. It’s a farce.

“This funding is vital to unlocking the potential of our towns and villages. One bid that was rejected yet again is for cash to build the much-needed Cullompton relief road, in my patch.

“This would ease congestion, reduce air pollution, and breathe new life into the town centre. Everyone who gets gridlocked in the middle of the town has Conservative Ministers to thank.

“We need investment, not warm words. Ministers need to get their act together and deliver the fair deal that our communities need, with proper levels of investment.”