THERE are further encouraging signs that the Stadium for Cornwall project will get the funding it needs after once again pressing the Treasury on the matter, according to West Cornwall MP Derek Thomas.

With the Stadium partners seeking an extra £3 million of Government funding to match-fund the commitment of Cornwall Council, Mr Thomas raised the issue of the Stadium for Cornwall at Treasury questions in the House of Commons this morning.

Mr Thomas said he had worked with stakeholders in Cornwall to deliver a Stadium for Cornwall for the past 10 years and asked what more the Treasury can do to deliver this "fantastic opportunity".

Responding, Treasury Minister Robert Jenrick MP said: “At his (Derek Thomas’s) instigation, I met with the Cornwall Council officer responsible for the project last week.

“We (the Treasury), and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will continue to work closely with partners in Cornwall and with Sport England to seek a means to bring this exciting project to a successful conclusion.

“We appreciate that the Cornish Pirates, as the most remote team on the mainland, deserve a fitting home for the future.”

The Minister also gave a further hint of Treasury support for a Stadium for Cornwall when answering a question from Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard, who referred to Plymouth Argyle as being the favourite club of many football supporters in Cornwall.

“Perhaps, once a new stadium is built in Truro, they will not need to go to Plymouth to support Argyle,” he responded.

Mr Thomas said that he was encouraged by what he had heard: “I appreciate that many people, including myself, would have hoped that this would all have been settled by now,” he said after the parliamentary question.

“However, to get public money, the stadium proposal must demonstrate it can deliver a wide range of benefits for the people of Cornwall; that work is ongoing and, I hope, almost complete.

“In answer to my question, the Treasury clearly indicated that they want the project to succeed; meanwhile I will continue to do what I can to ensure that the scheme gets across the line.”