As the Government prepares to set out its English Devolution White Paper, Cornwall Council is highlighting the steps it has taken to implement the Level 2 Cornwall Devolution Deal signed last year.
That deal, agreed by the Cabinet in November 2023, has seen Cornwall make swift progress when given new powers to make decision on areas including adult education and green energy.
Steps taken to implement those changes include:
- The Adult Education Strategic Plan has been agreed ahead of Cornwall Council taking on the role and £10m pa budget for commissioning of adult education courses from the 2025/26 academic year.
- The creation of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum, chaired by Lord Hutton, which moved swiftly to publish the Cornwall Good Growth Plan 2024-35.
- Using the £10m acquired via the Deal to support the delivery of affordable housing schemes and significant heritage projects across Cornwall.
- The creation of the Cornwall FLOW Commission to support the development of floating offshore wind technology and helping Cornwall contribute towards reaching the UK’s targets for renewable generation.
- Allocating £500,000 acquired via the Deal to support initiatives that promote Cornish distinctness, with a focus on the Cornish language.
A paper highlighting the progress will be considered by the Council’s Corporate Finance and Performance OSC when it meets in Truro next Tuesday.
Read the agenda Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “I am delighted to share the progress we’ve already made in delivering on the devolution commitments agreed with the previous Government just 12-months ago.
“Cornwall has a strong track record in delivering positive change locally when given the powers and funding. Cornwall’s first Devolution Deal in 2015 led to real improvements in public transport. The Council has once again demonstrated that it has the capability and ‘devo know-how’ to move swiftly in taking on additional powers and ensuring additional funding, including the Shared Prosperity Fund, acquired from Government are spent on projects that are making a significance difference on the ground.”
Councillor Taylor said she hoped the Council’s success in implementing devolution deals would help persuade the Government to provide a further bespoke deal for Cornwall.
She said: “Our devo track-record makes a nonsense of the Government’s view that the only way devolution can be delivered effectively is through the creation of more mayoral combined authorities sitting above local authorities, such as Cornwall Council. Cornwall is truly unique and taken together with our track-record, we have more than proved we should be the exception to the rule.”
Cornwall’s ability to stand alongside the combined authority elected mayors was highlighted today, when Cllr Taylor was one of only a handful of local authority leaders - and the only one representing a rural area - invited to join mayors to meet with the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss how places like Cornwall can deliver the Government’s new Integrated National Transport Strategy.
She said: “I was delighted to join the mayors and make the strong case that we are leading the way for rural areas on public transport integration because of our 2015 Cornwall Devolution Deal acting as the catalyst to create our Transport for Cornwall model, which has proved so successful.
“It is a clear example of how Cornwall can prosper when we are given the powers to shape our own future.”
ENDS
Posted 28 November, 2024