Council questions levelling-up tiers

CORNWALL Council has urged the Government to reconsider its plan to put Cornwall in the second tier of places for their new ‘levelling-up fund.’

The fund, to help poorer areas of the country get on a par with more affluent parts, has seen Cornwall put in tier two of the priority list, the same as Kensington and Chelsea in London.

Announced at the recent Government spending review, the £4.8 billion fund is intended to invest in infrastructure across the United Kingdom with an emphasis on town centre and high street regeneration, as well local transport projects and culture and heritage projects.

The classification of tier two priority comes despite Cornwall being classified as one of the poorest areas of the United Kingdom by the European Union, and receiving extra funding as a result.

Eurostat, the data agency of the European Union, classified Cornwall as being the second-poorest region in northern Europe, in figures published in 2018.

The Prime Minister previously promised that Cornwall would be no worse off after leaving the EU.

Some areas of the South West, including the Isles of Scilly and Torbay, have been placed in tier one – the highest priority – and are set for a lion’s share of the funding.

Plymouth, Mid Devon and West Devon are in tier two of the list, with three tiers of priority in total.

It has led to Cornwall Council writing a letter to the Government to make the case for Cornwall’s ranking to be reconsidered. It also asks the Government to explain the criteria for the tiers.