THE Salvation Army has highlighted Falmouth as one of the areas that will miss out on the Government's "Levelling Up" cash designed to tackle regional inequalities.

The warning from the church and charity, which has identified Falmouth, Liskeard and West Devon as some of the areas that will miss out, follows the release of the Government’s White Paper on how it plans to level up the country.

The Salvation Army has welcomed the Government’s plans to increase opportunities, raise wages and provide decent housing across the UK. However, its calling for a rethink of how local need is calculated to ensure investment in communities where people are desperate for training and stable job opportunities.

It believes 'Levelling Up' funding should help develop local labour markets in areas that rely heavily on low skilled and low paid seasonal work or in shrinking industries.

The Salvation Army’s Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant said: “The people who come to our food banks, debt and employment advice services in the South West want to work but are often held back by things beyond their control.

"Poorly paid seasonal work, lack of access to affordable childcare or just no opportunity to retrain when a large local employer shuts, can trap people and entire areas in deprivation. The Levelling Up Fund is a chance to invest in the people of the South West that don’t want a handout but a hand up."

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Cornwall and Falmouth councillor Jayne Kirkham, who leads the Labour group on Cornwall Council, said: "I have worked with the Salvation Army in Falmouth who do great work in homelessness outreach and working with the disadvantaged and the young in the town and more widely.

"They are quite right to point out that the area has not been touched by Levelling Up funding and there was nothing in the White Paper to say that it would be.

"The TUC in the south west has already pointed out that the government’s levelling up fund has no focus on jobs and economic or green growth in the south west and they are right.

"There appears to be no more investment for Cornwall in the white paper other than a focus on whether Cornwall should take a directly elected mayor to get more control. A mayor won't change some of the deep seated issues that the Salvation Army see here in Cornwall."

Falmouth and Truro Conservative MP Cherilyn Mackrory has been contacted for a response.