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Lack of South West transport funding criticised

George Thorpe
BBC News, South West
BBC A road sign for a train station above a green public footpath sign on a pole by a roadside in Devon. It is next to a stone bridge in the countryside.BBC
Politicians and business leaders in Devon and Cornwall have been left disappointed by the lack of funding in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' announcement

The government has been accused of leaving Devon and Cornwall behind in of transport investment.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £15.6bn of funding for transport projects across parts of England including Greater Manchester, the Midlands, West England and Yorkshire on Wednesday.

Politicians and business leaders based in Devon and Cornwall have criticised the government for overlooking the region after no money was earmarked for projects in either county.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was committed to delivering infrastructure that would boost the whole country.

'Underfunded services'

Leigh Frost, leader of Cornwall Council, said the county's roadwork of more than 4,500 miles (7,242km) would have to be maintained with limited .

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: "Our residents deserve a reliable, affordable, and integrated public transport system.

"Instead, we're left to struggle with making the Cornish pound stretch further to our underfunded services, while other areas receive the lion's share of investment."

Ben Maguire, Lib Dem MP for North Cornwall, said the county had "yet again been overlooked" by the government and the area deserved much better.

"We've had promises of 'levelling up', but this £15bn plan doesn't offer a single penny for our region," Mr Maguire added.

Cars and vans travel along the A30 in Cornwall on a cloudy day. Grass verges and fields are on either side of the dual carriageway.
Lib Dem MP for North Cornwall Ben Maguire said the county had been overlooked

Lib Dem MP for St Ives Andrew George accused the government of targeting "handpicked mayoral zones" with its £15.6bn of funding.

Mr George added: "So we're expected to believe this is a politically neutral decision based on need":[]}