A huge thank you to everyone who has come along to one of the Local Plan community drop-in events over the past few weeks to have their say on the future of Cornwall.
The workshops are the first phase of an extensive programme of public engagement activities being carried out by Cornwall Council to support the development of the new Cornwall Local Plan.
Led by Creative Kernow, the informal drop ins provide an opportunity for local people to share their views on the things that are important to them about where they live and any changes they would like to see happen over the next 20 years.
So far workshops have been held in St Ives, Penzance, Camborne, Redruth, Saltash and Liskeard, with further events due to take place in a number of towns and villages across Cornwall during the next four months.
Sian Lovie, from Creative Kernow, is delighted with the response from local people in the communities which have been involved so far. She said:
“This is very early consultation to get a sense from communities about the really important things which are in their area.
"We want to hear about the exciting things in the places they live and the things that they want to see changed or protected over the next 10 years.
“People have been talking to us about a wide range of topics including housing, schools, healthcare, public transport, jobs, parking and the importance of protecting the natural environment.”
The next stage of the drop-in programme will see events taking place in:
- St Austell - Wednesday, October 22 from 12pm to 3pm at St Austell Quaker Hall, PL25 4AN
- Lostwithiel - Wednesday, October 22 from 4pm to 7pm at Lostwithiel Church Rooms, PL22 0BZ
- Falmouth - Tuesday, November 4 from 11am to 2pm at Princess Pavilion, TR11 4AR
- Penryn - Tuesday, November 4 from 4pm to 7pm at Art Centre Penryn, TR10 8EH
Find out more about the Local Plan events
Cllr Sarah Preece, Cornwall Council cabinet member for planning, said:
“The is a plan for the future of Cornwall and we want to make sure that it reflects the views of everyone who lives and works here.
“This first phase involves developing a Vision for Cornwall. While there will be a number of opportunities for people to have their say as the Local Plan develops, we are already seeing some key themes emerge from these events. I would encourage everyone to come to one of the events taking place between now and the end of January if they can to ensure that their views are taken into account.”
The drop in events are not the only opportunity for people to have their say, however. The Local Plan team will be having conversations with different people and organisations across Cornwall over the coming months as work on preparing the plan progresses.
A draft Vision is currently due to be produced by Summer 2026, with formal public consultation taking place in Autumn 2026. The feedback from this consultation will be used to develop the Draft Local Plan which is expected to be completed in late Spring 2027. Following further public consultation and engagement over Summer 2027 a revised draft plan will be produced which incorporates all the comments made by the public and stakeholders.
This phase is due to be completed by Spring 2028 when it will be submitted to the Secretary of State ahead of a formal public inquiry led by an independent Planning Inspector. Cornwall Council is expected to make a decision on whether to adopt the Local Plan at the end of 2028.
Story posted October 20, 2025