Steve Double, Conservative Candidate for St Austell and Newquay, has hailed the announcement of the £198 million Growth Deal for Cornwall which was announced yesterday.
Commenting on the news, Steve said, ‘This announcement, and particularly the fact that the decisions about how the funding will be spent, will be made in Cornwall, is great news for local people and businesses alike. By working together, in the traditional Cornish way, Cornish MPs, Cornwall Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership have put together a compelling bid pushing for investment in road, rail, bus and cycle infrastructure as well as in skills training.’
‘This strong case worked and the Conservative-led Government has listened. Combined with the recent visit from the Prime Minister and announcement of a multi-million pound investment in rail infrastructure, Cornwall is receiving unprecedented levels of funding, something which simply did not occur under the previous Government. ‘
‘What we need to do now is make sure this funding is used in the best possible way to ensure the Cornish economy is able to grow and provide better paid, secure jobs, especially for our young people. I will be doing all I can to make sure that St Austell and Newquay gets its fair share of the investment to boost our local economy.’
‘If elected in 2015 I will continue to champion the Cornish voice in Westminster and ensure that we receive the funding we deserve, as well as the autonomous decision making abilities that will allow local people to use investment in the best manner possible for all.’
The Growth Deal will see the government invest £49m- mostly in the next two years, unlocking a further £149m from the private and public sectors, in addition to the £520 million of European Union funding that has been ring-fenced for Cornwall; between 2014 and 2020 the LEP will oversee an approximate £1 billion investment in the local economy.