Plans to devolve ownership of the Pendennis Headland in Falmouth to the local town council will lead the agenda when Cornwall Council’s cabinet meets next week.
Also on the agenda is a decision on whether to double council tax rates for second homes, the Rural Prosperity Fund and a proposal to join Adopt South West, a regional adoption agency.
The meeting, the final Cabinet meeting of 2022, will take place in the Trelawny Room at County Hall in Truro on Wednesday, December 14, starting at 10am.
The devolution of the Falmouth site follows the closure of the Ships & Castles leisure centre in the spring after its operator GLL said it could no longer afford to run it.
In July, the Cabinet vowed to work with Falmouth Town Council to see if a devolution deal could be agreed before the site could be sold on the open market.
The site will now be handed to Falmouth Town Council on a freehold basis for a token sum of £1. The town council has already resolved to hand the former leisure centre to an alternative service provider, with the aim of reopening the facility.
The transfer of the land should take place before March 31, 2023.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “I am so pleased to see the potential devolution of the Pendennis Headland to Falmouth Town Council coming before the Cabinet.
“Closing the leisure centre was such a tough decision to take, but we had to do it as ensuring we get the best possible value for our taxpayers is vital, especially in the current financial climate.
“I am pleased that we have managed to negotiate this potential deal with the town council which will go a long way towards restoring a leisure provision for Falmouth and the surrounding area.”
Next week’s meeting is open to the public, and can also be viewed online via our Webcast service.
You can read the full agenda for the meeting on our website.
