A GRASSROOTS partnership has added its voice to calls for Cornwall to keep receiving specific funding for growing the economy.

Concerns are rising that the county could miss out after March next year when the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), which replaced European funding after Brexit, is ending.

The Cornwall South Community Area Partnership, which covers the St Austell area and includes Fowey and Lostwithiel, has written to Steve Reed, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, about the issue.

The partnership, under the umbrella of Cornwall Council, brings together councillors, organisations and local people to tackle various issues.

Cornwall councillor James Mustoe, who chairs the partnership, has sent the letter to Mr Reed, to express “deep concern regarding the future of local growth funding”.

The letter continues: “As a group, we are united in strongly supporting Cornwall Council’s recent letter to the Prime Minister, as well as the efforts of our local Members of Parliament, and join them in urging the Government to include Cornwall in future Local Growth Fund settlements.

“Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly remain among the poorest regions in the UK, and continued investment is essential to ensure economic growth, higher paid jobs and improved skills across our communities.

“The Shared Prosperity Fund, which was introduced by the previous Conservative government and initially continued by the Labour government, has been a vital tool in helping us address these challenges.

“Its planned conclusion in March 2026, coupled with the exclusion of Cornwall from the new Local Growth Fund for Mayoral City Regions, poses a serious threat to our progress, as well as having a potentially catastrophic impact on Cornwall Council’s own economic growth team, who have done so much to enable the funding we have received in recent years, whose future is literally on the line due to these changes.

“The removal of local growth funding risks undermining current and future job creation and economic resilience. Over the past two decades, EU structural funds and SPF have enabled transformative investments in infrastructure, skills, digital connectivity and business support. These investments have helped Cornwall outperform many UK regions in employment, gross value added and productivity growth.

“In just the past four years, the SPF programme has delivered funding for at least 41 projects worth over £3,500,000 just for our community area partnership, not to mention the funding awarded for Cornwall-wide projects, which is considerably greater than this. This demonstrates great value with the local authority working with the communities it serves to deliver tangible outcomes and has often helped serve as a nexus to help galvanise community fundraising efforts to promote and nurture community cohesion and togetherness.”

Cllr Mustoe highlighted two successful projects in the letter. One was the upgrade of the Mevagissey and District Museum and the other was the future-proofing of the volunteer-led Cornubia community hub at Par.

The letter concludes with this message: “Continued investment is not only fair – it is essential to unlocking the full potential of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in support of national priorities.”