If readers haven’t heard of Shared Prosperity Funding (SPF), they will definitely have seen the projects it has funded across South East Cornwall. SPF is the funding that the Conservative government created after Brexit, to replace the EU funding. Cornwall did very well out of SPF, reflecting our deprivation and the challenges we face down here.

Although it wasn’t perfect (show me any government scheme that ever is), it was a vast improvement on the old EU funding that it replaced. For a start, SPF is administered locally by Cornwall Council, with officers on the ground and councillors more easily able to unlock problems. Cornwall received the second highest award of anywhere in the United Kingdom.

£137-million has been spent by local businesses, community groups and local councils all over Cornwall. As well as Cornwall-wide projects, around £5-million was directly spent in South East Cornwall. Many of the complaints from the old scheme was it all went ‘down west’ and our corner of South East Cornwall was the poor relation to Penzance or Truro.

In Liskeard, where I am a councillor, nearly £1-million went on the huge refurbishment of the Liskeard library – how glad we are to have that library re-opened after all those years that the building sat closed and empty. I can confidently say that had it not been for SPF, Liskeard library would still be a construction project to this day. Thankfully it’s celebrating its first birthday of being open this month.

SPF is coming to an end in March 2025. There are no proposals yet from the Labour government for its replacement. All eyes are on Rachel Reeves and her budget this month. If Labour is silent on SPF and funding for Cornwall, it would be the first time in over 25 years that there will be no structural funding for our Duchy. Not the change I think people wanted to see from this new government. Cornwall Council’s Cabinet have described it as a cliff-edge for Cornwall.

Readers can easily see how SPF has been spent in their area, check out the website ciosgoodgrowth.com There has been a massive range of projects funded across South East Cornwall, from future proofing St Dominic Community Shop, the Looe Shedders, Sterts Theatre or the Saltash Saltmill skate park. The benefits and positive impact can be seen all over our communities.

It feels criminal that at the same time as more projects and businesses come forward for assistance and grants, the council will be forced to wind down its support. Unless the government cough up what I believe is rightly ours, Cornwall really will be heading into a new era. The government’s silence on this, is creating huge uncertainty all over Cornwall.

Nick Craker

Conservative councillor for Liskeard