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Councillors unite on desire for Cornwall-only devolution deal


council chamber

Councillors from across the political divide united at Cornwall Council today to call for a Cornwall-only devolution deal rather than a cross-border agreement with neighbouring authorities.

The motion, submitted for debate by Cllr Dick Cole, confirmed the position of the council set out in a joint letter from group leaders and Cornwall’s MPs sent to the Deputy Prime Minister in September.

However, the Government’s English devolution white paper, published in December, sets out their preference for deals involving combined authorities with a population of more than 1.5 million people, effectively ruling out a Cornwall-only deal unless an exception could be made.

Councillors from all political parties spoke at a meeting of the full council in Truro today to outline their support for a Cornwall-only deal, and for the need to present a united front in order to try and secure the best possible deal for Cornwall.

A number of members raised concerns that a refusal to even discuss any potential deals could leave Cornwall left-behind in terms of devolution of powers and additional funding, while supporting the desire for a Cornwall-only deal.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “Although there were some disagreements over wording, it is clear that the whole chamber supports securing a Cornwall-only deal for the benefit of our residents.

“Our MPs are also vocal in their support of this position, and the ball is firmly in their court to keep fighting in Westminster to secure us a deal.

“It was good to hear one of them, Andrew George, speaking so positively in the debate.  We need a deal to be sorted as quickly as possible to ensure Cornwall does not get left behind.”

The meeting also saw a motion calling for the National Trust and other significant landowners in Cornwall to be asked to consider switching their holiday lets to permanent rental homes to help address the housing crisis.

The motion, introduced by Cllr Julian German, was widely supported by councillors across the chamber.

You can rewatch today’s meeting via the council’s webcast service online.

Watch the webcast

Posted 21 January, 2025