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Draft budget to protect services to be considered by Cabinet


A draft budget to protect frontline services and meet residents’ priorities will be considered by Cornwall Council’s Cabinet next week.

A worse than anticipated financial settlement from Government to Cornwall, which saw the wholesale removal of the Rural Services Delivery Grant, means that Cornwall Council must reassess the level of savings needed to deliver a balanced budget. 

Despite the concerns raised by Cornwall Council and many of its rural counterparts, the figures were confirmed this week as around £6 million lower than originally expected.

Cllr David Harris, the deputy leader of Cornwall Council and portfolio holder for resources, said: "This really has been the most difficult budget to put together, it is clear that Government has not listened.

“There is absolutely no recognition that our rurality has been taken into account. In fact, you might be forgiven for thinking that they are actively favouring urban over rural areas, especially as the Rural Services Grant has been scrapped in its entirety.

"When the Government finally confirmed the settlement this week, it confirmed that we have been left £5.1 million short of what we were entitled to expect.  

"Not only that, but when the Chancellor announced her new changes to National Insurance contributions from businesses, she gave unreserved assurance that councils would be compensated, yet we have been left £500,000 short, which we have had to find. 

“We have avoided making further cuts and hitting services by redistributing some non-ringfenced grant funding and by increasing some fees and charges.

“These are difficult choices we are having to make, but I am confident we are delivering a budget that will protect our frontline services and continue to invest in Cornwall’s future.

“I will continue to urge the Government to end this cycle of endless cuts and savings, and to deliver fairer funding for local government as they have promised to do.”

The budget, which will be considered when the Cabinet meets in the Trelawny Room at County Hall (Lys Kernow) in Truro on Wednesday, will result in a 4.99% increase in Council Tax rates, which includes a 2% levy to be used for adult social care.
It includes an increase of £22 million in the council’s net spending on care for adults and children. 

Capital investments include £173 million to create new school places and repair school buildings, investments in appliance replacements for Cornwall Fire and Rescue, continuing to invest in new technology to create modern, low-carbon ways of working, and £1.5 billion on projects to support economic growth, maintain the transport network, and create homes and jobs for local people.

You can read the papers prepared for the Cabinet here.

View the agenda

Members of the public are welcome to attend proceedings, which will start at 10am, or you can watch via the council’s webcast service.

Watch the webcast

Posted 04 February, 2025