The South West is to welcome more than 300 zero-emission buses – yet a mere eight of those will be coming to Cornwall.

In an announcement shared today (Friday) the UK government is allocating nine local councils more than £43 million to roll out 325 state-of-the-art electric buses in the region.

However, Cornwall Council will receive £1.3m from the government for eight buses, whereas in other parts of the South West, a significant amount more will be given, with even more buses per region.

The following list reveals which South West councils will receive the funding, and the number of buses each area will receive:

Cornwall Council - £1.3 million for eight buses

Devon County Council - £5.3 million for 41 buses

Gloucestershire County Council - £5.9 million for 58 buses

North Somerset Council - £2.1 million for 24 buses

Plymouth City Council - £9.5 million for 50 buses

Somerset Council £2.2 million for 25 buses

Torbay Council - £7.1 million for 49 buses

West of England Mayoral Combined Authority - £6.6 million for 74 buses

Wiltshire Council – £3.4 million for 23 buses

South West total - £ 43.4 million for 352 buses

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “As part of our plan to improve local transport across the South West, we’re providing over £43 million to roll out 352 brand new zero-emission buses across the region. 

“This latest investment into our bus fleet comes on top of the £3.5 billion we have invested into our bus network since 2020, protecting and improving bus routes into 2025 as well as extending the £2 bus fare cap until the end of 2024, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.” 

To make sure more parts of the country benefit from better buses and green technology, particularly rural areas where the journey towards decarbonising buses is in its early stages, the Government has prioritised the first £40 million for rural communities. 

These state-of-the-art buses will also improve the passenger experience, providing users with considerably quieter and more comfortable journeys. The new zero-emission buses will also drive on smoother roads thanks to £8.3 billion to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads in England over the next decade, the biggest ever funding uplift to improve local roads, all thanks to reallocated HS2 funding.

The Packet has contacted Cornwall Council for a comment.