“Disgraceful” Levelling Up snub ignores our community in Fenland

The Government has failed to inject money and support local communities in Fenland in this week’s Levelling Up funding announcement.

It comes despite Rishi Sunak’s own constituency of Richmond in Yorkshire receiving £19 million of levelling up funding.

Fenland was only one of two bids through the Combined Authority of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. If the bid had been successful, it would have provided funding to Wisbech Access Strategy, March Area Transport Study and Whittlesey Station.

Responding to the news that Fenland has been left out of the latest round of investment and received no levelling up funding from the Government, Liberal Democrat Cllr Gavin Booth, Councillor for Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary Ward said: 

“This Conservative Government has chosen to ignore the pleas of our local community, showing yet again they are taking families here for granted. Had our bid been successful, the lives of people in Fenland would have been significantly improved.

“Instead, we have been left out and forced to fend for ourselves while the Prime Minister lines the pocket of his own area. It’s a disgrace.

“Once again the Conservatives have made councils chase an ever decreasing pool of money when what is needed is more powers and resources for local authorities, so much of which has been cut by the Government.

“The people of Fenland have been let down today, but the Liberal Democrats will ensure that the Government’s decision does not mean we are left behind. We will never stop fighting for a fair deal for our communities.”