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Councillors from across the political divide united at
Cornwall Council today to call for a Cornwall-only devolution deal rather
than a cross-border agreement with neighbouring authorities.
The motion, submitted for debate by Cllr Dick Cole,
confirmed the position of the council set out in a joint letter from
group leaders and Cornwall’s MPs sent to the Deputy Prime Minister in
September.
However, the Government’s English devolution white
paper, published in December, sets out their preference for deals
involving combined authorities with a population of more than 1.5 million
people, effectively ruling out a Cornwall-only deal unless an exception
could be made.
Councillors from all political parties spoke at a
meeting of the full council in Truro today to outline their support for a
Cornwall-only deal, and for the need to present a united front in order
to try and secure the best possible deal for Cornwall.
A number of members raised concerns that a refusal to
even discuss any potential deals could leave Cornwall left-behind in
terms of devolution of powers and additional funding, while supporting
the desire for a Cornwall-only deal.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Linda Taylor, leader
of Cornwall Council, said: “Although there were some disagreements over
wording, it is clear that the whole chamber supports securing a
Cornwall-only deal for the benefit of our residents.
“Our MPs are also vocal in their support of this
position, and the ball is firmly in their court to keep fighting in
Westminster to secure us a deal.
“It was good to hear one of them, Andrew George,
speaking so positively in the debate. We need a deal to be sorted
as quickly as possible to ensure Cornwall does not get left behind.”
The meeting also saw a motion calling for the National
Trust and other significant landowners in Cornwall to be asked to
consider switching their holiday lets to permanent rental homes to help
address the housing crisis.
The motion, introduced by Cllr Julian German, was
widely supported by councillors across the chamber.
You can rewatch today’s meeting via the council’s
webcast service online.
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