Cornwall Council approves £63m capital programme

Cornwall Council said it planned to decarbonise all its buildings

"Major economic challenges" faced by Cornwall Council are to be addressed with a new £63m programme, the authority has said.

A full council meeting backed the move, which was also to help pay for modernising council buildings.

The plans would also provide more temporary accommodation for people in priority need, it said.

However, council leader Linda Taylor said it was "no secret" it faced its "most challenging budget-setting" ever.

Councillors approved the £62.8m capital programme "to address major economic challenges faced by Cornwall Council", the authority said.

'Tough decisions'

Mrs Taylor, who heads the Conservative-led unitary authority said: "It is no secret that we are facing the most challenging budget-setting in the history of Cornwall Council.

"The effects of the pandemic, combined with the increasing pressure on adult social care services, means we will have to make some tough decisions in the months ahead, even as we implement our plans to create a stronger Cornwall."

She said she had written to new communities minister Michael Gove, urging him to ensure Cornwall was prioritised for work to help boost wages and productivity.

Mrs Taylor added: "We all need to be united in our efforts to protect our most vulnerable, and to ensure we are doing everything possible to support our communities."

Also on the agenda were plans to ensure new developments contributed to Cornwall's goal to become carbon neutral by 2030 and decarbonising council buildings, the council said.

Councillors backed proposals for a climate emergency development plan which covered "policies to support green energy, enhance the environment, provide more efficient housing, greener travel and resilience to issues such as coastal change and flooding".  

Councillor Martyn Alvey, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said the plan "reiterated the unitary authority's commitment to help Cornwall strive towards net-zero carbon emissions in response to questions from the public".