A wide-ranging agenda focussed on improving the lives of Cornish residents will be considered when Cornwall Council’s cabinet committee meets this week.
Details of how the £132 million Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) will be allocated across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will lead the discussions at the meeting at County Hall in Truro on Wednesday, 20 July.
Part of the government’s levelling up agenda, the SPF plan will see cash injections made to meet the three priorities of business, communities and skills and tackle inequalities in deprived areas.
It will aim to level up residents' life chances to create a thriving, sustainable Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Further details of how the funding will be allocated across the region and how organisations and community groups can apply for funding will be announced next month.
Also on the agenda is the creation of an integrated care partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the next steps for Truro’s Pydar regeneration project, the Bus Service Improvement Plan and the future for St Austell’s council buildings.
The next steps for the site of Falmouth’s former Ships & Castles leisure centre will also be discussed by the committee. The centre closed to the public in March this year after efforts to find a viable alternative operator were not successful.
The report before the cabinet recommends that the site will not be sold until discussions regarding its potential devolution have concluded.
It also provides an assurance that a proportion of the capital receipt generated from the potential future sale of the site will be ringfenced and used to provide alternative leisure facilities for Falmouth and Penryn.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “This cabinet meeting will see a raft of important projects discussed, all of which will directly benefit our residents.
“The Shared Prosperity Fund is a vital tool for supporting those communities most in need, and it is vital we ensure the money goes to where it will do the most good.
“We will also be discussing improving our care provision, improvement projects for Truro and St Austell, bus service transformation and ensuring the best outcomes from the closure of the leisure centre in Falmouth.
“It demonstrates our determination to take the difficult decisions and to ensure we do all we can to make Cornwall a place where our residents can start well, live well and age well.”
Wednesday’s meeting will start at 10am in the Trelawny Room at County Hall and is open to members of the public. You can also watch proceedings live via our webcast service.
Story posted July 19, 2022
