A PETITION has been launched calling on the government to ensure fairer funding for Cornwall, writes Christine Williams.

The London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea delivers the same range of services as Cornwall but has 48% more funding per resident. Last Saturday morning, July 7, members of the Bude branch of the Liberal Democrats set up a stall at the Triangle and invited the public to sign.

The Lib Dems are calling for an additional £39-million since they allege that the current funding model does not take into account the needs of an area with an ageing population or the added cost of delivering services in rural areas.

They also set up a ‘stickometer’ on which passers-by could place coloured stickers against the local issues which most concerned them. Potholes, dangerous pavements and dog fouling were the greatest environmental concerns while bus services, distance to rail services, traffic jams and speeding traffic were the transport issues. Almost 100% of people said they felt safe in Bude although one lady thought things were changing.