Spending review frustrates South West transport campaigners
Some politicians, railway campaigners and residents in the South West have expressed disappointment following the Government's spending review on Wednesday.Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £15bn of new investment in transport projects last week, and none of the money has so far been earmarked for named projects in Devon or Cornwall.Reeves pledged funding for affordable homes, health, defence and schools but any areas in the South West set to benefit have not been spelt out at this stage.Some campaigners and local residents had hoped her speech would have included additional investment for the region - such as funding to bring back Cullompton's railway station.
Mid-Devon district councillor Steve Keable said the "political reality" was that Reeves was "playing into her Labour heartland" by prioritising other parts of the country.Keable, who represents Taw Vale for the Liberal Democrats, said he hoped to find out "over the next few days" what would happen to "the capital funding that Cullompton and Mid Devon are so looking forward to".He added that the Cullompton Station project, as well as a separate project to build an additional junction on the M5 south of the town, could not "progress before we get the go ahead".
'Days out for children'
Some local residents remain supportive of the railway station project."I think it would boost the economy of the town," one said, adding: "I think it needs some money to push local businesses forward."Another local resident said the station was "always used before" and felt "the trains would be used more" if the station was rebuilt.One mother said it would be "fantastic" if the station came back, adding: "My children would have access to days out - it would be really wonderful for everyone."
Hoping for funds
Cornwall Council was awarded £184m in January by the UK's Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) to help boost the local economy.However, the government announced this week it would be replacing the fund, which itself was originally established to replace EU funding by the last Conservative government.Cornwall previously received about £400m of Objective One funding from the EU as it contained some of the poorest areas in England and Wales.The government said it planned to establish a "new local growth fund" aimed at "mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands", as well as investing in up to "350 deprived communities across the UK".Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, said she had been told the money from the fund would be distributed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), adding: "So that will come a bit later.""We are hoping that is coming soon and what the SPF might be morphing into," she said.Andrew George, Liberal Democrats MP for St Ives, said money for Cornwall should be ring-fenced if "there [was] ring-fencing for other nations".George said Cornwall had "rightly" received the investment over the last 25 years. "Now what we want to happen is to make sure Cornwall is treated as it has been over that period," he said.
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