A30 call to action

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Dualling of the A30 at Temple, long recognised as crucial for Cornwall’s economy, is again in doubt – and demands action by businesses in the Duchy.

This is the view of Bishop Fleming, Britain’s fastest growing Top 50 accountancy firm.

While the Chancellor announced funding for the dualling of the A30 at Temple in his Autumn statement,  Robert Bailey, tax director at Bishop Fleming’s Truro office, says it is not set in stone:

He said: “This was welcomed across Cornwall as a vital step in boosting the Cornish economy, by removing a bottleneck that slows the journey to market for Cornish products, and makes the start and end of holiday makers’ experience of our county a misery.

“Now, 25 years after it was first identified as being a vitally needed improvement, it transpires that this funding is not guaranteed at all, but is dependent upon the business case being made yet again.”

He points out that recent figures show how the south west loses out on transport funding to richer parts of the country.

“The spend per head in 2010/11 for the south west is just £150, compared to £450 in the south east. But even that £150 seems to be grudgingly given.

“We all got used to a recent Chancellor announcing every payout several times: this Chancellor now seems to announce funding that he may not even spend!”

Bishop Fleming ran a recent survey among Cornish businesses, which revealed that 80% of respondents support the dualling investment, and consider it essential to the south west economy.

Now the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership has launched another survey to help press the business case for the funding and Bailey is urging local companies to take part.

He  added: “It will only take ten minutes to complete, but could save many times that off every journey you make in the summer, so it is time well spent.”