Cornwall Council approves £50m savings plan

Proposals to close a £50m gap in Cornwall Council's budget for the next financial year have been narrowly approved.

The authority agreed to increase council tax bills by 4.99%, as well as making efficiency savings and cuts to some services to help balance its books.

However, the Conservative-run administration insisted it would be spending an additional £22m on protecting vulnerable adults and children in future.

Members voted by a majority of just four to pass the budget at a meeting of the full council.

Councillors voted 39 for the plans, 35 against, with three abstentions.

The council previously warned of the difficulty it had faced balancing its books for the 2025/26 financial year.

It criticised the government for the removal of the rural services delivery grant, but the Labour government insisted it had provided all councils with additional revenue this year.

Other measures in the budget included a 100% council tax premium on second homes, which the authority hoped would raise about £23m to help with its financial plight.

Planned cuts to its handyperson service and proposals to reduce opening hours at some of its recycling centres were reversed, however.

The authority also pledged to fund a business case study to argue for safety improvements on the A30 near Launceston.

David Harris, deputy leader and portfolio holder for resources, said authority leaders had faced a "perfect storm", with increased demand and rising costs of statutory services such as adult social care and providing home-to-school transport.

He insisted: "We've done our best; we could do no more in the end.

"Happy is the wrong word. But I am happy with the budget given the circumstances."

Julian German, leader of the council Independent group, criticised the lack of action on affordable housing.

He said: "That there is no use of the second homes' council tax for local needs properties in this budget is a betrayal."

Leigh Frost, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: "So much in this budget will hurt our residents.

"Cuts to climate action, the fire service, street cleaning, homes maintenance, family support workers - the list goes on."

The council Labour group said the authority was in a worse position after four years of Conservative rule.

Local political party Mebyon Kernow bemoaned that residents would be "paying more for less."

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