Cornwall Council yesterday agreed to provide up to £3m of funding for the construction of a new sports stadium.

The council argued the Stadium for Cornwall project will help protect the Cornish Pirates and Truro City Football Club, as well as ‘contribute to wider economic and social benefits to residents.’

There were 69 votes for the plan, 41 against, and 7 abstentions

‘This decision recognises the wider benefits that a Stadium for Cornwall will bring to the whole of Cornwall,’ said the cabinet member for planning and economy Bob Egerton.

‘This is money that is set aside to support infrastructure to help grow the wider economy of Cornwall - it is not money that we are in any way diverting from delivering day to day services.’

In January 2018, the three partners leading the Stadium for Cornwall project, Truro and Penwith College, Cornish Pirates and Truro City Football Club, made a request to Cornwall Council for up to £6m of capital funding to add to the £8m already raised by the private sector for the £14m development.

The council’s £3m contribution to the funding will come from the Economic Development Match funding pot, and the council will also be submitting a bid to the Government for a further £3m to deliver the stadium.

A statement from Cornwall Council emphasised that ‘no further’ public funding will be available for the project and that no public funding would be involved in the running of the stadium.

The council’s partners will be responsible for covering any additional construction costs and operating costs and this will be incorporated into the conditions of providing the capital funding.