MEBYON Kernow has called on the Highways Agency and Cornwall Council to take urgent action to improve the main A38 through South East Cornwall to support economic regeneration in the region.

Cllr Andrew Long, MK's Cornwall Council member for Callington and the party's economy spokesperson, made the call following a presentation to councillors on the Economic Development White Paper and Development of the 2014–2020 EU programme at Liskeard on Monday.

He said: 'Cornwall has historically been ignored by central government when talking about infrastructure improvements and the south east of Cornwall has been especially hard hit with little or no work being done to improve the main A38 through the region. 

'There are numerous accident hot-spots along its length from the Tamar Bridge and Bodmin and, while money has been spent on the A30, the A38 has been left to scrape around for the crumbs of funding and this has had a devastating effect on economic development in the south east of Cornwall.'

Cllr Long added that the Highways Agency was currently consulting on improvements to its network and it was important that Cornwall Council shouted loud to press for real capital expenditure on this important route. 

'With the new EU funding programme starting next year, we need to have a timetable for improvements to the route so we can encourage new and growing businesses to locate in south east Cornwall,' he added.

The Highways Agency consultation is due to end this week and community networks across the route have been asked to comment on the areas that need improvements. 

Cllr Long believes that for the A38, the length between Saltash and Trerulefoot and Dobwalls and Bodmin are urgently in need of upgrading, and the junctions on the dual carriageway section near Menheniot are traditional accident hotspots.