Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee - 14 October 2025

The Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee formally approved the minutes of its 15 July 2025 meeting, with Councillor Alvey moving and Councillor Burnett seconding the resolution, and the Chairman signing the record. A public question submitted by Mr G Smith of St Mabyn was read by the Vice‑Chairman; the query concerned the resignation of the Council’s Chief Operating Officer and S151 Officer. The Chairman confirmed that Alice Gunn resigned for personal reasons, unrelated to the role’s demands. Updates from the Leader, Deputy Leader, and portfolio holders for Resources, Regeneration and Investment, and Community Safety and Public Health were circulated in advance; the Leader’s report was taken as read and he noted an upcoming meeting with the Minister for Devolution.

Budgetary matters dominated much of the discussion. Councillor Paynter highlighted the overspend identified in the Quarter 1 report and outlined ongoing work to bring the current year’s finances back on track and to prepare a three‑year budget plan for scrutiny. Concerns about the emerging risk to the care workforce were raised by Councillor Gripper; the Committee noted that the issue had not yet been discussed at Cabinet and that Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships, Councillor McKenna, would provide a more detailed update. Renewable‑energy investment was also discussed, with Councillor Dwelly reporting on the economic benefits of high‑paid jobs in the sector and urging that such evidence be used to support further investment, including geothermal projects. Councillor Cole questioned why Cornwall appeared to have been omitted from the Government’s local growth fund allocations that had previously included Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; the Leader confirmed ongoing representations and a potential partnership with Homes England.

The Committee examined proposed amendments to Article 21, which governs the Council’s oversight of council‑owned entities. The Head of Commercial Assurance explained that the 2020 framework was being updated to reflect best‑practice guidance and findings from a Grant Thornton public‑interest review. Points raised included the presence of officers on company boards, potential conflicts of interest for both officers and members, and the impact of reduced member representation on board effectiveness. The Committee clarified that members and portfolio holders may attend board meetings as observers, but that the balance between transparency and commercial confidentiality must be managed. No formal decision was taken; the draft changes were referred for further comment and future consideration after the 2025 election.

Finally, the Service Director for Customer & Business Operations presented the Digital Inclusion Strategy 2025‑2030 and the revised Customer Philosophy. The digital strategy, built on research from Plymouth University, identified Cornwall as one of the 19 most digitally at‑risk local authority areas and proposed a delivery plan based on four thematic areas, with particular attention to disabilities, assistive technology and the use of AI tools. The Customer Philosophy emphasized maintaining traditional contact methods alongside digital services, highlighted strong call‑centre performance, and proposed a mobile “Council bus” to improve face‑to‑face access in rural communities. The Committee also reviewed the Quarter 1 performance report, noting an overspend of £3.4 million (projected to reach £7.1 million) driven mainly by children’s services, and agreed that future reports would include clearer KPI trends and remove references to closed services such as Trefula. Several councillors called for deeper scrutiny of children’s services and for additional data to support targeted interventions.