Watching a training session at the Cornish Pirates current ground at the Mennaye Field in Penzance, Chancellor Sajid Javid could probably see why rugby fans are so keen to get the Stadium for Cornwall.

While the ground retains a certain charm, it is not the finest example of a sporting ground and not for a team which has aspirations of reaching the highest level of rugby.

The Stadium for Cornwall is planned for a site at Langarth on the outskirts of Truro and is being brought forward by a partnership of the Pirates, Truro and Penwith College and Truro City Football Club.

Funding has been provided from the partners and Cornwall Council has pledged £3m towards the stadium but that is on the condition that the Government provides £3m itself.

This would be in line with a pledge made by then-Prime Minister David Cameron to provide financial support. However the funding is yet to materialise, with the Government saying it wants Cornwall Council to secure the land for the stadium first, from owner Inox.

Mr Javid dropped into Penzance on a whistle-stop tour of Cornwall and, while unable to commit the government funding, said he was keen to learn more about the project.

He hailed the partnership working and the benefits for Cornwall of having a stadium, not just in sporting terms but also for the community and economic benefits.

The Chancellor said he was very familiar with the stadium from his time as culture secretary and his most recent position. He said that Conservative candidate Derek Thomas was supportive of the stadium.

But he said he was unable to make any promise on funding, saying he didn’t want to pre-empt any discussions.

He said: “Sport can make a real difference in both the local economy and local community.”

Mr Javid said he “loved coming to Cornwall” and it was important that there was investment in the county to keep the economy strong.

He said there had been a “huge fall” in unemployment and more people were in work with wages rising faster than inflation.

But he also admitted that the Government “can do more” to help Cornwall.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Cornwall Council is planning on a 3.99 per cent council tax rise, with 1.99 per cent basic increase and a 2 per cent levy for adult social care.

Asked whether this was right Mr Javid said: “I want all councils to keep any council tax rises to a minimum, it is their duty to spend every penny wisely.”

He claimed that in the last budget the Government gave local councils “the biggest increases in spending for 10 years” and allocated more money for social care.

But he said that in order to keep public services “strong” it required a strong economy and claimed the only way to do that is with a Conservative government.

Earlier in the day Mr Javid visited Truro where he was taken to the Truro Primestock Show on Lemon Quay by Conservative candidate Cherilyn Mackrory.

Speaking after the meeting, Pirates and Truro City FC owner Dicky Evans, of the Stadium for Cornwall partners, said: “The opportunity to meet Mr Javid directly and to share with him our vision for the future of the Stadium for Cornwall and its impact across Cornwall was one we fully embraced. It was a pleasure to host the visit. Mr Javid listened to our shared vision, asked some direct questions on behalf of Government and went away with a good understanding of the impact we believe the Stadium will have on Cornwall.

“We fully appreciate just how precious Mr Javid’s time is in the run-up to the General Election and want to thank both the Chancellor and Derek Thomas for facilitating the visit and for their support in the Stadium for Cornwall.”