Cornwall Council’s leader has written to the prime minister asking for urgent clarity on whether Cornwall will continue to receive Local Growth Funding after March 2026.
Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost
The letter comes in response to recent announcements that suggest future growth investment may be targeted only at mayoral city regions, raising fears that Cornwall could be excluded from long-term funding essential to our economy.
“Are you planning to phase Cornwall out of structural local growth funding?” asks Leigh Frost in his letter.
“If government does intend to remove this support from Cornwall, the consequences would be severe. It would represent a missed opportunity for this government to choose to work together with Cornwall to continue the huge strides made through the local growth funds over the past two decades in transforming our economy.”
He goes on to warn that moving to a two-tier funding model could hold back productivity and growth, by weakening regions like Cornwall that still need investment.
“Our region still faces some of the lowest wages, highest levels of in-work poverty, and deepest structural economic challenges in the country. Progress over the past two decades has been achieved thanks to consistent, predictable, place-based investment. Removing that investment would risk reversing hard-won progress, damaging confidence and deterring private investment.”
Cllr Frost highlighted Cornwall’s track record of using funding effectively, building skills, creating jobs, and developing high-value industries in areas such as clean energy and critical minerals. But he cautioned that “we cannot build a stronger economy without continued, long-term support”.
