Report calls for new devolution deal for Cornwall

A report has argued that Cornwall has ‘outgrown’ its original devolution deal and a bold new approach is needed to set it on the path to ‘true’ devolution seen in other Celtic nations.

The Institute for Public Policy Research report looks at how Cornwall, the first rural region to have negotiated a devolution deal with government, has used the powers in its 2015 deal to deliver real benefits for residents.

Whilst highlighting how the deal has enabled positive, local change, especially in the areas of transport and climate change, the paper says that Cornwall has now outgrown its current devolution deal and a bold new approach is needed that sets Cornwall on the path to true devolution on an equal basis with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The lack of control in Cornwall, as a result of the existing devolution deal, is illustrated by housing, planning and building regulations. If Cornwall had control over these area we could go further, faster, to meet our ambitions to tackle climate change. Alongside planning, the IPPR says that the region should have better control over education and health.

Approximately two in three people in Cornwall say too many decisions affecting their area are made outside it.

Sarah Longlands, Director of IPPR North, said: “The devolution agenda in the UK has lost momentum and particularly so in England where the process has been piecemeal and top down, driven by Whitehall. At a time when we face extraordinary challenges, places like Cornwall need the power and resources to be able to get on and get the job done, rather than wait for central government to make the next move.

"From the Cornish language, the seabed to skills and tax, too many aspects of Cornish life are determined by Whitehall. From our research, it is clear that Cornwall has made the best of the fairly limited decentralisation deal that it was originally offered.

"Given the impact of Covid on Cornwall’s hospitality industry and the uncertainty of Brexit, now is the time to give Cornwall real devolution which means that they have the economic powers and resources they need to support a strong and fair recovery.”

Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “Cornwall was the first and remains the only rural area with a deal. Through the powers we received we have been able to bring significant benefits to Cornwall which have had a really positive impact on our residents’ lives.

“We have clearly now outgrown that initial deal, and have been calling, through our New Frontiers plan, for the devolution of powers and funding we need to thrive, especially in a post-Brexit world. It is time for Westminster to recognise and harness the contribution that rural regions like ours make to the rest of the country.

“In 2014, the Cornish were granted national minority status by the government, a recognition of the rich cultural heritage our unique corner of the UK can boast. It gives us the same status as the other Celtic nations of the British Isles. However, we are still lagging far behind when it comes to the powers to decide our own future.

“We have seen how Wales and Scotland have been able to control their own response to the pandemic and in Cornwall we have been able to build on our own local expertise and our effective partnership approach to achieve significant community outreach through our own, highly effective track and trace system for the residents of Cornwall. It shows, when Cornwall is able to implement its own decision making using our own local knowledge, we are able to support our communities and tackle the specific challenges we face far more effectively than when we see policy decided centrally.

“The time has come for a far stronger devolution deal for Cornwall, to allow us to unlock the potential we possess. Cornwall is a Celtic nation – and it is time we are treated as one.”