Levelling up funding projects announced for Cornwall and Devon

Multi-million pound funding for a new direct rail link between some of Cornwall's most populated areas and a major road link in Devon have been announced.

They are among successful bids that form part of the government's Levelling Up Fund.

A new direct train service linking Newquay, St Austell, Truro, Penryn and Falmouth will get a £50m grant.

In Devon, about £13.5m will pay for a new railway station at Okehampton.

A further £16m was announced to extend Dinan Way and cut congestion in Exmouth and £15.6m for Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre.

The centre will research green technology and work with local universities and private companies to bring in investment and directly create nearly 100 highly-skilled jobs, the government said.

Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox called the successful bid for the Appledore project "the big prize".

Analysis by BBC South West political editor Martyn Oates

Levelling Up - the aim of closing the gap between the most deprived and most prosperous areas of the country - has been a buzzword for the Conservatives since they were elected to government in 2019.

From the outset the government has had a strong focus on the north of England where it won an unprecedented number of new seats in that election.

Today, though, there are claims from the North the Levelling Up awards disproportionately favour the South East - generally the country's most affluent region - at the expense of the North.

The South West, meanwhile, always feels ignored in the row about the North/South divide - despite being home to some of the most deprived areas in the country.

It was inevitable there would be winners and losers in a competitive process but today sees some of the poorest coastal towns in the region - Plymouth, Torquay and Ilfracombe - coming away empty-handed and disappointed.

MP for Truro and Falmouth Cherilyn Mackrory said the new train service, dubbed the Mid Cornwall Metro, would "give residents of Falmouth and Penryn smoother access to work and leisure opportunities on the north coast, as well as provide a direct route for people wishing to visit and work in our fabulous towns and university campuses".

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council's cabinet portfolio holder for the economy, said: "This is great news for residents and businesses in Cornwall."

Matthew Barnes, head of strategic service development at train operator GWR, said: "This really is super news for rail and wider, sustainable transport choices across the South West."

A new railway station on the eastern edge of Okehampton will provide an interchange for the west and north of the Devon up to Holsworthy and Hatherleigh and parts of north Cornwall, which are currently considered to be poorly connected to the national rail network, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said..

It is hoped the new railway station will have the same success as the Okehampton Station, which was restored ahead of regular services restarting between Exeter and Okehampton in 2021.

New facilities will also be built for bus connections, cycle links and electric vehicle charging.

West Devon Borough Council's leader Neil Jory said it was "fantastic news for Okehampton".

Conservative MP for north Devon Selaine Saxby said it was "disappointing" that a bid to improve Ilfracombe seafront was unsuccessful.

Also missing out was a proposal to regenerate Helston in Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly bid to develop the Town Hall on St Mary's into a new museum and cultural centre.

Anthony Mangnall, Conservative MP for Totnes in Devon, said it was "disappointing" that a bid to expand Brixham's harbour and fish market and to create a new technology businesses park was unsuccessful.

Mr Mangnall said a "strong updated bid" would be submitted for the next round of funding.

Torbay Conservative MP Kevin Foster tweeted that he would be meeting Mr Mangnall "first thing tomorrow to identify what we can do as local MPs to ensure the necessary work is done locally to ensure a future bid succeeds".

Plymouth City Council's £20m bid to expand Millbay docks as a freight port, upgrade Tinside Pool and improve the Stonehouse area was also turned down. 

Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, Luke Pollard tweeted it was a "punch in the gut" for the city.

"Stonehouse is in the bottom 0.2% in the entire country for some economic measures," he said.

"When 99.8% of communities are richer, it's hard to believe we have been passed over to be levelled up."

A bid for a new £28m relief road, reducing traffic through Cullompton in Devon, was also rejected.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the total of £2.1bn in the round of funding being distributed across the UK would create jobs and "spread opportunity".

However Labour described it as "a partial refund" on what the Tories "have stripped out of our communities".

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