The Case for Cornwall

to create a sustainable Cornwall

www.cornwall.gov.uk

A prosperous Cornwall that is resilient and resourceful.

A place where communities are strong and where the most vulnerable are protected.

Why we’re making the case for Cornwall

www.cornwall.gov.uk

The total public sector budget for Cornwall is £4.3 billion pa…

…but most spending decisions are made or controlled by central government.

Locally budgets are under strain and services are being reduced…

…but with more joined up national and local spending we could reduce duplication and make better use of the money available.

Cornwall has lots of exciting opportunities……but we don’t always have the powers to maximise them.

…and the concerns you have raised

www.cornwall.gov.uk

• Affordable decent housing

• Wage levels and the cost of living

• Public transport

• Job prospects

• Road repairs

• Care for the elderly

Cornwall Council Residents Survey 2014

The Government is open to proposals

www.cornwall.gov.uk

“And you, the people who live and work in the south-west, know far better than I do what’s right for your local area...

George Osborne22 May 2015

“This is a revolution in the way we govern England.It’s time for you to take control of your own affairs.”

George Osborne14 May 2015

“I am convinced that if we have more local discretion – more decisions made and money spent at the local level – we’ll get better outcomes.”

David Cameron

It’s already happening elsewhere!

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Newcastle

Sunderland and South Tyneside

Tees Valley

HullLeedsLiverpool

Greater Manchester Sheffield

Nottingham

Preston, South Ribble & Lancashire

Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire

Leicester & LeicestershireNorwich

Greater CambridgeGreater Ipswich

Southend on Sea

Greater London

BrightonSouthampton & Portsmouth

Plymouth & SW Peninsula

Bristol

Black CountryGreater Birmingham

Coventry and Warwickshire

Swindon and Wiltshire

Thames Valley BerkshireOxford & Oxfordshire

27 areas have already achieved some form of devolved powers

So why not Cornwall?

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Cornwall Council and its partners are committed to working together to create a more prosperous Cornwall that is more resilient and resourceful.

We have already started to build our case

www.cornwall.gov.uk

January 2015Draft Case for Cornwall agreed by Council Cross party Member Working Group established

March 2015Case for Cornwall published - copies sent to local and national political groups Media campaign launched - newspapers, TV and radio, social media, photo campaign, libraries and one stop shops and online survey

May 2015Informal meetings with civil servantsPublic consultation eventsDiscussion with partners

June 2015Case for Cornwall updated to reflect feedback received

July 2015Final Case for Cornwall considered by Council Submission to government

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Housing - creating the right conditions to build more affordable homes, in the right places, to meet the needs of local people

What we’re asking for• A share of stamp duty to

reinvest in affordable housing

• Suitable government owned land and powers

• Ability to control second homes via planning or levy

• Power to define affordable local housing and speed up regeneration

• Retain right to buy receipts to invest in Cornwall

Benefits• Housing market that supports local need• More affordable housing built where it is needed• More sustainable communities• Ability to tailor local solutions and housing

development to meet specific local need• Longer term and more secure partnerships with

housing providers

Risks• Liabilities with some of the

government owned land – but benefits outweighs the risks

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Transport - an integrated and improved public transport system that supports the employment, education and wellbeing of local people

What we’re asking for• Responsibility for franchising

bus services• Local control of longer term

funding for local bus transport• Power to provide a fully

integrated and more effective rural transport network

Benefits• More frequent services with more capacity,

combined routes, timetabling and tickets• More security for bus operators and

services• A more cost effective system with better

customer satisfaction and higher usage• More certainty over funding for services

Risks• Achieving the support of bus

operators• However, the biggest risk is not

taking any action and seeing bus services reduce further

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Property - a joint approach to public land and buildings to make best use of assets and improve service delivery

What we’re asking for• To keep and reinvest money from

selling public sector buildings locally• To manage public sector properties

jointly• Police buildings in Cornwall to be

under the control of Cornwall’s police service

Risks• All partners need to be signed up to pooling

the proceeds from property sales

Benefits• Service improvements by locating

Council and partner organisations together

• Making the best use of the buildings the Council and partners collectively own

• Reinvestment from selling buildings we no longer need

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Planning, infrastructure, energy and environment - greater local influence over planning and regulations to support the local economy and environment

What we’re asking for• More local control of the planning system• More local control over investment in flood

defence• Greater local control over heritage assets• Influence over development of the electrical

grid network • Local discretion over energy targets• Investment in geothermal energy

Benefits• A planning system that supports

Cornwall’s ambitions, local communities and economic growth

• Improved energy efficiency • More Cornish jobs in renewable

energy• Up to £90m investment in

geothermal industries

Risks• Seeking to work outside the national

planning policy framework may be difficult to achieve

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Employment and skills - people of all ages in Cornwall trained in skills that match current and anticipated future employer demands

What we’re asking for

Local powers to direct skills funding for:• Apprenticeship grants• Further education funding for young adults and

adult skills budgets• Careers education, information, advice and

guidance funding

The opportunity to work with Government to design programmes to help people in Cornwall get employment

Benefits• Better access to training and

skills to enhance employment opportunities

• A higher skilled workforce and higher salaries

• Support the growth of key industries by providing workforce with the right skills

Risks• Consensus needs to be achieved across public

and private stakeholders

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Health and social care - providing more person-centred and integrated care through joined up health and social care systems and budgets

What we’re asking for• Support to explore new ways of working

locally• Freedom to develop a Cornwall

performance and planning regime • Freedom to pilot local solutions with

cashable savings• More powers over public health services

and budgets

Benefits• Reduced demand and pressure on

services through prevention and intervention

• Less people needing to visit A&E and be admitted to hospital

• Joint services, lower costs and better value for money

• Less duplication in back office systems

Risks• The funding still doesn’t meet the

growing demand for services in Cornwall

www.cornwall.gov.uk

Funding - a financially sustainable Cornwall able to decide how to use public sector funds to meet local needs

What we’re asking for• Five year funding certainty• Local discretion over council tax• A share of fuel duty to invest in road repairs• A share of VAT generated through tourism

to reinvest locally• A share of revenue where we take action

locally that saves the government money

Benefits• The ability to plan longer term• Resources can be used where

they’re most needed and provide more value for money

• More local discretion about raising funding

• More funding retained in Cornwall to meet Cornwall’s needs

Risks• New income is offset by cuts from

government grants elsewhere

Case for Cornwall

Comments or suggestions please email: policy@cornwall.gov.uk

Further information:

www.cornwall.gov.uk/standup#standupforcornwall