Cornwall Council calls on government to replace EU funding

Cornwall Council has called on the government to assure it that it will replace the funding it received from the EU with further investment.

John Pollard, Cornwall Council leader, said he wanted ‘investment equal to that provided by the EU programme’.

So far the county has received £1 billion of aid over the past 15 years, with more than £400 million in the pipeline until 2020, due to its relatively weak economy.

Tim Jones, from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership said: "The French are major investors in our part of the world, EDF Energy, china clay, Brittany Ferries. The European partnership is crucial to the South West. I can't make any judgement here that's going to be beneficial, short or long-term, in a business context.

"The community may have spoken but the business community is still the wealth creating vehicle and we have got to find a way through this."
The news comes after Cornwall voted to leave the EU, with 182,665 voting to Leave and 140,540 voting to Remain.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "It is important to understand that there will be no immediate changes. We must now prepare for a negotiation to exit the EU that will ensure the interests of all parts of the United Kingdom are protected and advanced."