The MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Richard Foord, has described the rejection of his area’s Levelling Up fund bids as ‘a body blow to our communities’. 

Today the Government announced that a total of £2billion will be awarded to 100 projects around the UK to support economic growth and job creation. 

East Devon District Council bid for £11.2million to develop the Axe Valley, with a specific focus on improving the seafront at Seaton and developing of new office and work spaces in Axminster. The council would have matched the Government funding with £4m of their own money.   

But the bid was turned down, along with another by Mid Devon District Council for projects in other parts of Liberal Democrat Mr Foord’s constituency. 

In response to the news Mr Foord said: “This news is a body blow for our communities, who have been crying out for this vital investment for years. 

“By failing to honour their commitments to level up our part of Devon, the Conservatives have shown just how woefully out of touch they are. 

“It’s clear they are continuing to take our communities for granted and have yet to hear the message from their by-election loss last summer. 

“People across Tiverton & Honiton will rightly be outraged by this decision, which is holding up key projects like the Cullompton Relief Road and investment in both Axminster and Seaton. 

“I will continue to hold the Government to account and demand that the South West gets the investment we have long been promised – so we can unlock the true potential of our part of Devon.” 

Meanwhile, Exmouth has been awarded £15.7million in Levelling Up funding for its long-awaited extension to Dinan Way - a partial ring road around Exmouth that currently lacks a final connection to the A376 - and other local transport projects. 

They include regeneration work around Exmouth train station, with improvements to pedestrian access to the town centre and better connectivity for cycle ways to the Exe Estuary. 

The Conservative MP for East Devon Simon Jupp, who campaigned for the funds, said: “This is excellent news for Exmouth and I’m really looking forward to seeing spades in the ground as quickly as possible.”