Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board - 11 July 2025

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board met on 14 March 2025 and began with a welcome to new members, followed by brief introductions and updates on areas each member wished to highlight. The Chairman, newly appointed Leader of Cornwall Council, outlined the council’s four‑year priorities, emphasizing the need for fairer funding—Cornwall has historically received below the national average—and a devolution settlement that recognises the authority’s mature unitary status without linking it to Devon or requiring a mayor. Councillor Francis, Chairman of the Isles of Scilly Council, reported progress on children’s services under an Improvement Notice, severe staffing shortages in adult social care linked to housing costs, the opening of a new hospital and a forthcoming care home, and the islands’ rapid population decline driven by high transport and housing costs. He also raised the issue of funding formulas based on population size and advocated for a single settlement model that reflects the islands’ unique needs.

Lord Robin Teverson, Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership, confirmed that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy had been approved by DEFRA and that a marine‑coastal component would soon be incorporated. The partnership is now moving from strategy to implementation, a process he described as essential but challenging for environmental sustainability. He expressed concern over Government proposals to exempt developments under one hectare from Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, viewing the change as a potential setback. The discussion also touched on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, particularly Part 3, which deals with environmental delivery plans and was identified as contentious.

The Chief Executive presented the Executive Group’s report, noting the use of an Insights Dashboard that tracks economy, housing, crime, transport, demography, deprivation, health, education and environment, with a public version already available and a detailed intelligence report due by the end of July 2025. A new Local Government Outcomes Framework with fifteen outcomes was highlighted as a shift toward place‑based accountability and cross‑sector collaboration. The board discussed several strategic risks, including social housing pressures, the allocation of the £13.2 billion Warm Homes Grant for house retro‑fitting, uneven service provision among parish and town councils, and the Right‑to‑Buy scheme. Members agreed that the Executive Group would assign owners to each risk, assess impact and likelihood, develop mitigation actions and provide regular updates. The board endorsed the current strategic‑risk list and the establishment of an Opportunities Register, and confirmed that the Chief Executive and Principal Auditor (Risk) would attend future Board and Strategy Partnership meetings.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall outlined the Police and Crime Plan 2025‑2029, which sets performance targets for emergency call handling, crime‑recording accuracy, management of high‑risk sexual offenders and investigative capability. The plan follows a period of leadership instability and HMIC Engage oversight. The Commissioner reported a £433 million police budget, a new Chief Constable appointed in December 2024, and recent improvements such as reduced waiting times on the 101 non‑emergency line (abandonment rate now below 5 %). While overall crime rates remain low, violence is the most common offence and drug‑ and alcohol‑related issues are rising, particularly in towns such as Camborne. The board discussed the need for better crime‑rate metrics and noted the introduction of a free business‑crime reporting system to address under‑reporting of low‑level offences.

Finally, the Vice‑Chancellor of Falmouth University presented the Civic Universities Agreement (CUA) Annual Report and proposed expanding the partnership to include Plymouth Marjon University (teacher training) and the University of Plymouth (dentistry and healthcare). The board reviewed the draft report, suggested formalising community‑engagement activities within the CUA remit, and considered broader involvement of the business community to reflect the “triple‑helix” model