Here is a summary of the Sustainable Growth and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held by Cornwall Council on 7 October 2025.

The committee endorsed the continuation of the 20mph speed limit roll-out across Cornwall and the guiding principles that will shape the council's climate and nature recovery ambitions, and agreed to recommend that the Cabinet adopt revised climate and nature targets. The committee also reviewed the Council Farms Estate strategy and received updates from various cabinet members.

Here's a more detailed look at the key discussion points:

• Review of 20mph Roll Out The committee endorsed the continuation of the 20mph roll-out across Cornwall. The committee noted the progress made to date in respect of the 20mph roll out. The programme, with a committed project value of £4.5m, began as a pilot in the Falmouth & Penryn and Camelford Community Network Areas, and is scheduled for completion in 2027, followed by ongoing monitoring. The delivery approach is sign-only, and is supported through a communications and engagement strategy. Extensive data collection shows largely consistent speed reductions across communities, with early collision data also indicating a positive downward trend in both road collisions and casualties. The committee heard that Cornwall Council has shared its approach at both the national 20s Plenty conference, and with numerous local authorities across England who have reached out for support/advice, and is now recognised as a leading authority and a model of best practice in 20mph implementation. During the discussion, a committee member sought clarification as to how enforcement of 20mph zones had been funded. In response, it was noted that enforcement was self-financing and that fines went straight to HM Treasury, but speed awareness courses generated recoverable costs for the police. It was noted that speed enforcement teams operated independently of other police resources.

• Resetting Cornwall Council's Climate and Nature Recovery Ambitions The committee endorsed the guiding principles that will shape the council's climate and nature recovery ambitions, and agreed to recommend that the Cabinet adopt revised long-term ambitions and near-term targets for climate and nature across the 3 levels of council action as set out in the report. The Head of Strategic Environment and Climate Change delivered a presentation to the committee which outlined the council's ongoing work in response to the climate and ecological emergencies. He summarised key strategic developments including legislative changes and proposed future actions. He stated that the council had developed a climate risk assessment and three major strategy documents (i) the Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) (ii) the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and (iii) a Climate Adaptation Strategy (in development) and that these were designed to address net zero energy transition, ecological restoration and climate resilience. He reminded the committee of the council's declarations of the Climate Emergency (2019) and Ecological Emergency (2021) which had led to commitments to carbon neutrality and nature recovery and emphasised the council's three-tiered role - leading by example, influencing partners and assets and enabling community-wide action. The Head of Strategic Environment and Climate Change then outlined key legislative changes including the Climate Change Act's net zero 2050 target and the Environment Act 2021 which imposed new duties on local authorities and emerging policies such as biodiversity net gain and bans on fossil fuel systems were expected to impact service delivery. He stated that public engagement had shown strong support for the council's action with 95% of residents concerned about nature and 84% concerned about climate change. He advised that the council had used co-design principles and citizen panels to inform strategy development and outlined the four guiding principles:

  • Aligning with national policy while using local evidence for target setting.
  • Leveraging Cornwall's natural assets and technologies for economic growth.
  • Unlocking investment while ensuring fairness and inclusivity.
  • Prioritising emissions reduction over offsetting. The Head of Strategic Environment and Climate Change stated the council planned to refresh its action plan, maintain its 70% emissions reduction target by 2030 but proposed extending its renewable energy generation targets due to proven financial and environmental benefits. He advised that the council would not purchase carbon offsets but would continue tree planting efforts and outlined indicative targets as follows:
  • Council operations: 70% emissions reduction by 2030, net zero by 2040.
  • Cornwall-wide: Net zero by 2045, ahead of the national 2050 target.
  • Nature recovery: 30% of land and seas to be well-managed for nature by 2030.

• Council Farms Overview and Review of its Strategy The Acting Head of Property provided an overview of the Council Farms Estate, 20 Year Strategy and 10 Year Business Plan which were built on the following 4 key principals:

  • Farming Futures Entry-level opportunities into farming
  • Environmental Growth Enhancing ecological and historic features
  • Vibrant communities linking farms to local communities
  • Sustainable Estate Financial and environmental sustainability. The Acting Head of Property referred to paragraph 2.7 of the report and outlined the current challenges and opportunities facing the Farms Estate:
  • Capital pressures: Investment required to maintain safe, compliant and efficient infrastructure.
  • Revenue challenges: The cost of management and maintenance under current lease terms.
  • The expense of dairy farming across small land holdings.
  • Maintenance burdens: High costs associated with large residential properties and traditional farm infrastructure.
  • Tenant demand: Strong interest in holdings but the estate needed to offer more efficient, compliant and profitable opportunities.
  • Economic Development: Potential for innovative land use, such as tree nurseries and sub-businesses.
  • Bare land lettings.
  • Environmental Initiatives: Expansion of tree planting and biodiversity efforts to support carbon neutrality.
  • Marginal agricultural production.
  • Alternative Land Use: Opportunities to deliver outcomes that met the multiple ambitions of the Council
  • Renewable Energy: Existing and planned projects including wind turbines and geothermal plants with potential for solar expansion. The Strategic Director for Sustainable Growth and Place emphasised the importance of taking a strategic approach when reviewing the Council's Farms Estate, which was a significant landholding. He suggested the Committee considered whether to retain, reduce, or expand the estate and how it aligned with broader goals such as housing development and food production. Arising from consideration of the report, the key points were noted as follows:
  • The continued need for Cornwall's County Farms Estate and whether it fulfilled its original purpose of helping new farmers enter the industry. It was noted that many holdings were too small for modern dairy farming and that long-term tenancies limited opportunities for new entrants. It was suggested that the number of tenancies be reduced, for a fundamental review be undertaken and consideration given as to whether the Council's management model was financially sustainable compared to those of private estates.
  • Clarification was sought in relation to farm rents. The Committee was advised that there were two types of farm rent. One based on the farm's productive capacity and the other on market value. It was noted that neither took into account the actual cost of maintaining the estate and although market rents were charged they did not fully cover rising costs.
  • Insight was sought on how other local authorities managed similar estates and what practices they followed. In response, it was noted that the Council benchmarked its farm estate using annual data submitted to DEFRA who then published comparative reports across local authorities.
  • The importance of better understanding how the County Farms Estate compared to modern farm practices, the ability to be able to make site visits and engage with local farms to gather evidence and insight.
  • The provision of a clear summary of what had been achieved so far on the Council's Farm Strategy especially with regards to asset sales, reinvestment and progress on specific projects such as micro unts etc.
  • The Committee reflected on the challenges of modernising a historical farm estate and questioned whether fewer and much larger farms would be more practical and whether the overall operation was financially self-sustaining.
  • The Committee was urged to consider the broader community benefits of County Farms such as land access, education and opportunities for young people and for creative solutions such as marginal land for renewables or housing without compromising farming.
  • Concern was expressed with regards to national food security and the importance of preserving County Farms to support local food production and to provide opportunities for young people.
  • Clarification was sought as to whether eviction notices were used by the Council. It was noted that the Council managed changes to the farms estate by waiting for tenancies to end, typically at retirement age allowing for gradual transition and planning.
  • Concern was raised with regards to bare land lettings, missed opportunities to expand the estate and the value of the land to support Council borrowing and its importance for community benefit.
  • Clarification was sought as to whether the continued investment in County Farms was the best use of resources and whether it came at the expense of other higher growth sectors. It was resolved that an informal workshop be set up in September 2025 to enable the Committee to develop a clear scope to support any future proposed Task and Finish Group taking on Board the key points highlighted by the Committee as set out in the Minutes above.

• Questions from Members to Cabinet Members on their reports

  • Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Dan Rogerson:
    • Clarification on the categories of free bus passes available in Cornwall. The Cabinet Member advised that a briefing paper would be circulated.
    • Clarification as to whether the young person's fare discount and concessionary passes would be protected after the pilot funded ended. The Cabinet Member advised that the aim was to preserve affordability and avoid sudden increases in fares. He stated that the Council was trying to maintain support for young people and concessionary fare users while encouraging greater bus usage to sustain services.
    • Clarification as to whether the Committee would be consulted on the future parking tariff review. The Cabinet Member advised that would welcome input from Members, stating that consideration was being given to more tailored tariff options to better reflect community need.
  • Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Peter La Broy:
    • Clarification on the initiatives being taken in respect of the rising need for housing. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that the need for temporary housing had tripled over recent years but advised numbers had started to decline due to Council initiatives such as prefabricated units and bunk cabins and purchasing homes for short term use.
    • Clarification with regards to key worker housing. The Cabinet Member stated there was no defintion for key workers in housing allocations due to the difficulty in defining the term. He stated that industries facing staffing challenges needed to highlight issues and referred to potential opportunities at West Langarth in providing housing for those working in health.
    • Clarification as to whether building more homes was the only solution to reduce homelessness. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that there was urgent need for affordable 1 to 3 bedroomed homes. He stated that discussions were being undertaken with developers and Homes England to secure future funding to support such housing and referred to the complexities of increasing housing density in town centres due to higher costs.
  • Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Investment, Councillor Tim Dwelly:
    • Clarification on how oversight would be maintained should Cornwall Airport Limited be given full responsibility for all airport related matters. The Cabinet Member stated that all arms length bodies needed better integration and scrutiny and he supported more transparency and regular engagement with these bodies.

• Public Questions

  • A question was put forward regarding how Cornwall Council will combat damaging mis and disinformation on Climate Change. The Chairman responded that the Council recognises the prevalence of climate change misinformation and disinformation, and the importance of sharing clear, evidence-based messaging.
  • A question was put forward regarding how many Cornwall Councillors have completed their climate literacy training so they can properly help local people address climate change in Cornwall. The Chairman responded that as of Monday 29 September 26 Members had completed the climate literacy training.
  • A question was put forward regarding what the findings were of the 3 Adapt research mandated by full Council on 16/4/24 to explore the economic role of grade 3 land in Cornwall focussing on grade 3b, to inform the new Local Plan. The Chairman responded that the interim findings of the study are that solar farms occupy a very small proportion of Cornwall's land (around 0.3%). This may rise up to 1.1% as a maximum scenario, but will still represent a very small use of the land. Solar farms have not significantly reduced arable land, using an additional 0.01% of Cornwall's land between 2016 and 2023.