Richard Whitehouse/LDR

Truro and Falmouth MP Cherilyn Mackrory has said that she has not supported funding for the Stadium for Cornwall as she believes money is needed outside the Duchy's only city.

The Conservative MP made a statement on the stadium after it was announced that the project was considered "dead in the water".

The Stadium for Cornwall had been put forward for consideration for Levelling Up funding from the Government, but it was announced this week that it has been dropped from the latest bid. Mrs Mackrory said that she was only allowed to support one bid for the funding and said that she felt the money should go elsewhere in her constituency.

Under the proposals for the stadium, an arena was to be built which would provide a home for the Cornish Pirates rugby union team as well as Truro City Football Club. It was also set to provide facilities for Truro and Penwith College as well as the local community.

In a Facebook post on the matter, Mrs Mackrory said that the Levelling Up fund was designed to tackle "economic differences and driving prosperity" in areas across the UK.

Cherilyn Mackrory, Truro and Falmouth MP.

She said: "I have never said that I would not support a bid for the stadium, and I have never been formally approached to support the stadium as a bid. However, the way the fund works means that as an MP I am only allowed one bid for my constituency and there are areas within my constituency that have not received any Government funding for years. They feel neglected and I want to change that.

"There are projects throughout Truro and Falmouth that require support and in order to truly level up places often forgotten – we need to look outside of Truro. Truro is receiving £23m from the Towns Fund, and millions of pounds have been invested into the Hall for Cornwall, for example."

No details were provided for what the one bid will be for and when asked what the project was Mrs Mackrory replied that she has "not supported any project yet". Some critics have highlighted that whilst the stadium site is in Truro and Falmouth it would have provided facilities for use by people across Cornwall.

The MP said that she also felt that the stadium should be led by private funding: "I have always been clear that I support a stadium for Cornwall, and I have been open to supporting it at the location in Langarth. However, I have also been clear the stadium should be looking at private investment, topped up by government or local authority funding. Not the other way around. For years people in positions of authority have been asking for a strong business case to justify public funds being spent on it. It is a shame to see the board of the stadium have now decided to cease developing it."

Mrs Mackrory said that she still felt that the stadium could still happen adding: "I still believe the stadium can be delivered through various other funding streams and I have no doubt that we will see a much-needed stadium in Cornwall one-day, but it may well be in a different and more central location.

"My priority remains securing investment for viable projects and delivering real change to the residents living in the Truro and Falmouth constituency. I will continue to support exciting projects on the ground and across our constituency that are coming forward."

Cornwall Council has previously stated that four projects – including the Stadium for Cornwall – were being submitted for consideration for Levelling Up funding. The announcement, made at the beginning of May, said that it was also putting forward the Mid Cornwall Metro Project which aims to improve transport links between Falmouth and Newquay; town centre improvements in St Austell; and a town regeneration project for Helston.