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{{Short description|unitary authority for Cornwall, England}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Short description|Unitary authority for Cornwall, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox legislature
{{Infobox legislature
| name = Cornwall Council
| name = Cornwall Council
| native_name = ''Konsel Kernow''
| native_name = ''Konsel Kernow''
| coa_pic =
| legislature = Whole council elected every four years
| coa_res = 100
| coa_pic = Arms_of_Cornwall_Council.svg
| coa_res = 150
| coa_alt =
| coa_alt =
| coa_caption = Coat of arms
| coa_caption = Coat of arms
| logo_pic = Cornwall_Council_logo.svg
| logo_pic = Cornwall_Council_logo.svg
| logo_res = 200
| logo_res = 150
| logo_alt =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption = Council logo
| logo_caption = Council logo
| session_room = File:New_County_Hall.jpg
| house_type = [[Unitary authorities of England|Unitary authority]] with [[combined authority]] powers
| house_type = [[Unitary authorities of England|Unitary authority]] with [[combined authority]] powers
| foundation = 1 April 2009{{efn|County council gained unitary authority functions.}}
| foundation = 1 April 1889
| leader1_type = [[Chairperson|Chair]]
| preceded_by = [[Cornwall County Council]]<br />{{Collapsible list |title = District councils |Caradon District Council |Carrick District Council |Kerrier District Council |North Cornwall District Council |Penwith District Council |Restormel Borough Council}}
| leader1_type = Chairman
| leader1 = Pauline Giles
| leader1 = TBD
| party1 = <br/>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| election1 = 25 May 2021<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 25 May 2021 |url=https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=584&MId=10113 |website=Cornwall Council |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>
| party1 =
| election1 =
| leader2_type = [[Leader of the council|Leader]]
| leader2_type = Vice-Chairman
| leader2 = Linda Taylor
| leader2 = TBD
| party2 = <br/>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| party2 =
| election2 = 25 May 2021
| election2 =
| leader3_type = [[Chief Executive]]
| leader3_type = Leader of the Council
| leader3 = Kate Kennally
| leader3 = TBD
| party3 = <!-- Non-political role -->
| election3 = 11 January 2016<ref>{{cite news |last1=Johnstone |first1=Peter |title=New Cornwall Council chief executive is in for the long haul |url=https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/14214972.new-cornwall-council-chief-executive-is-in-for-the-long-haul/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=Falmouth Packet |date=19 January 2016}}</ref>
| party3 =
| election3 =
| leader4_type = Deputy Leader of the Council
| leader4 = TBD
| party4 =
| election4 =
| leader5_type = Chief Executive
| leader5 = TBD
| election5 =
| seats = '''87''' ''(44 needed for a majority)''
| seats = '''87''' ''(44 needed for a majority)''
| structure1 = United Kingdom_Cornwall_County Council_2021.svg
| structure1 =
| structure1_res = 250px
| structure1_res = 250px
| structure1_alt = Cornwall Council composition
| structure1_alt = Cornwall Council composition
| political_groups1 =
| political_groups1 =
; Administration (47)
; Administration (45)
: {{Color box|{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (47)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (45)
; Opposition (40)
; Other parties (42)
: {{Color box|{{Independent politician/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (16)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (18)
: {{Color box|{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] (13)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] (13)}}
: {{Color box|{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (5)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (5)
: {{Color box|{{Mebyon Kernow/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Mebyon Kernow]] (5)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Mebyon Kernow}}|border=darkgray}} [[Mebyon Kernow]] (5)
: {{Color box|{{Green Party of England and Wales/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] (1)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] (1)
| term_length = 4 years
| term_length = 4 years
| last_election1 = [[2021 Cornwall Council election|6 May 2021]]
| last_election1 = [[2021 Cornwall Council election|6 May 2021]]
| next_election1 = [[2025 Cornwall Council election| May 2025]]
| next_election1 = [[2025 Cornwall Council election|1 May 2025]]
| voting_system1 = [[First-past-the-post voting|First-past-the-post]]
| voting_system1 = [[First-past-the-post voting|First-past-the-post]]
| session_room = Lys Kernow 2023.jpg
| meeting_place = [[New County Hall, Truro|Lys Kernow]]<br />[[Truro]]<br />Cornwall<br />United Kingdom
| meeting_place = [[Lys Kernow]], Treyew Road, [[Truro]], TR1{{nbsp}}3AY
| website = [https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/ www.cornwall.gov.uk]
| website = {{URL|www.cornwall.gov.uk}}
}}
}}


'''Cornwall Council''' ({{lang-kw|Konsel Kernow}}), known between 1889 and 2009 as '''Cornwall County Council''' ({{lang-kw|Konteth Konsel Kernow}}), is the local authority which governs the [[non-metropolitan county]] of [[Cornwall]] in [[South West England]]. Since 2009 it has been a [[unitary authority]], having taken over district-level functions when the county's districts were abolished. The non-metropolitan county of Cornwall is slightly smaller than the [[ceremonial county]], which additionally includes the [[Isles of Scilly]]. The council has had a [[Conservative Party]] majority since the [[2021 Cornwall Council election|2021 local elections]]. Its headquarters is [[Lys Kernow]] (also known as New County Hall) in [[Truro]].
'''Cornwall Council''' ({{lang-kw|Konsel Kernow}}) is the [[unitary authority]] for [[Cornwall]] in the United Kingdom, not including the [[Isles of Scilly]], which has its [[Council of the Isles of Scilly|own unitary council]]. The council, and its predecessor [[Cornwall County Council]], has a tradition of large groups of [[Independent (politician)|independent]] councillors, having been controlled by independents in the 1970s and 1980s. Since the 2013 elections, it is run by an Independent-Liberal Democrat coalition.


Cornwall Council provides a wide range of services to the approximately half a million people who live in Cornwall. In 2014 it had an annual budget of more than £1 billion and was the biggest employer in Cornwall with a staff of 12,429 salaried workers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/6563887/IAR-101001022633-Cornwall-Council-staff-%E2%80%93-number-employed-and-salaries-paid.pdf |title=Cornwall Council staff: number employed and salaries paid |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=January 2014 |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |publisher=Cornwall Council |access-date=7 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923222523/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/6563887/IAR-101001022633-Cornwall-Council-staff-%E2%80%93-number-employed-and-salaries-paid.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> It is responsible for services including: schools, social services, rubbish collection, roads, planning and more.
==History==
==History==
Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], taking over administrative functions previously carried out by unelected [[magistrate]]s at the [[quarter sessions]]. The first elections to the county council were held in January 1889 and it formally came into being on 1 April 1889, on which day it held its first formal meeting at the [[Hall for Cornwall|Municipal Buildings]] in [[Truro]]. The first chairman of the council was [[William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe]], a Conservative peer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cornwall County Council |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=Cornubian and Redruth Times |date=5 April 1889 |page=7}}</ref><ref name="intoc">{{cite web |title=Timeline |url=https://www.intocornwall.com/features/cornwall-history-timeline.asp |accessdate=21 September 2019 |publisher=Into Cornwall}}</ref>
===Establishment of the unitary authority===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Cornwall Crest.png|thumb|right|Cornwall Council ceremonial coat of arms]] -->
On 5 December 2007, the Government confirmed that Cornwall was one of five councils that would move to unitary status.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7129905.stm | title = Unitary status agreed for council | publisher = BBC | date = 5 December 2007 | access-date = 21 September 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090129231521/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7129905.stm | archive-date = 29 January 2009}}</ref> This was enacted by [[statutory instrument]] as part of the [[2009 structural changes to local government in England]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080491_en_1 | title = Cornwall (Structural Change) Order 2008 | publisher = [[Office of Public Sector Information]] | date = 25 February 2008 | access-date = 21 September 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090423003233/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080491_en_1 | archive-date = 23 April 2009}}</ref> The changes took effect on 1 April 2009. On that date the six districts and Cornwall County Council were abolished and were replaced by '''Cornwall Council'''.


Until 1974 the lower tier of local government comprised numerous [[municipal borough|boroughs]], [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] and [[rural district]]s. In 1974 the lower tier of local government was reorganised and Cornwall was left with six districts: [[Caradon]], [[Carrick, Cornwall|Carrick]], [[Kerrier]], [[North Cornwall]], [[Penwith]], and [[Restormel]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Carrick District Council |date=4 March 2009 |url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/carrick_district_council |accessdate=21 September 2019 |publisher=What do they know?}}</ref>
===Devolution===
The campaign for Cornish devolution began in 2000 with the founding of the [[Cornish Constitutional Convention]], a cross-party, cross-sector association that campaigns for devolution to Cornwall.<ref>{{Citation|author=Cornish Constitutional Convention|title=About|url=http://www.cornishassembly.org/about.htm|access-date=19 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823151946/http://cornishassembly.org/about.htm|archive-date=23 August 2014}}</ref> In 2009, Liberal Democrat MP [[Dan Rogerson]] introduced a bill in parliament seeking to take power from Whitehall and regional quangos and pass it to the new Cornwall Council, with the intention of transforming the new council into an assembly along the lines of [[National Assembly for Wales]].<ref name=Rogerson>{{cite web|title=Calls for More Power to Cornwall/ |url=http://www.danrogerson.org/2009/07/14/mp-calls-for-more-power-to-cornwall/ |publisher=Dan Rogerson official site |access-date=16 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103060025/http://www.danrogerson.org/2009/07/14/mp-calls-for-more-power-to-cornwall/ |archive-date=3 January 2013}}</ref> In November 2010, British Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] suggested in comments to the local press that his government would "devolve a lot of power to Cornwall – that will go to the Cornish unitary authority."<ref>{{cite web|title=Cameron on Cornwall, cuts and the coalition|publisher=This is Cornwall|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Cameron-Cornwall-cuts-coalition/article-2943680-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.is/20121209064513/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Cameron-Cornwall-cuts-coalition/article-2943680-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 December 2012|access-date=12 January 2012}}</ref> In 2011, the then Deputy Prime Minister [[Nick Clegg]] said he would meet a cross party group, including the six Cornish MPs, to look at whether more powers could be devolved to Cornwall.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Western Morning News|title=Clegg to discuss greater powers for Duchy with Cornish MPs|date=16 November 2011|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Clegg-discuss-greater-powers-Duchy-Cornish-MPs/story-13862745-detail/story.html|access-date=12 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117100209/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Clegg-discuss-greater-powers-Duchy-Cornish-MPs/story-13862745-detail/story.html|archive-date=17 November 2011}}</ref> The subsequent [[Localism Act 2011]] was expected to achieve this but it proved incapable. However, the [[Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016]] is intended to devolve some powers to Cornwall Council, helping to bring social and care services together, and giving control over bus services and local investment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Devolution-deal-major-shift-Cornwall/story-27454597-detail/story.html|title=Groundbreaking Deal for Cornwall is signed|work=West Briton|access-date=5 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001102526/http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Devolution-deal-major-shift-Cornwall/story-27454597-detail/story.html|archive-date=1 October 2015}}</ref>
In July 2015, a Cornwall Devolution Deal was agreed with the Government for devolution to Cornwall from London, which gives Cornwall greater powers over public sector funding. Cornwall was the first authority to agree a devolution deal with the Government. This was agreed following the submission of the successful Case for Cornwall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/13409340/20150715-cornwall-devolution-deal-final-reformatted-pdf.pdf|title=Cornwall Devolution Deal|access-date=28 November 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614074444/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/13409340/20150715-cornwall-devolution-deal-final-reformatted-pdf.pdf|archive-date=14 June 2018}}</ref>


On 1 April 2009, the six districts were abolished as part of the [[2009 structural changes to local government in England]] and their functions taken over by the county council, which was renamed 'Cornwall Council'.<ref>{{cite web |date=25 May 2009 |title=Cornwall Council becomes the new unitary authority for Cornwall |url=https://www.celticcountries.com/politics/160-cornwall-council-new-unitary-authority |accessdate=21 September 2019 |publisher=Celtic Counties}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cornwall (Structural Change) Order 2008|year=2008|number=491|access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>
==Cultural services==
Among the services provided by the council is a [[public library]] service which consists of a main library in Truro and smaller libraries in towns and some villages throughout Cornwall. There are also the following special libraries: Cornwall Learning Library, [[Cornish Studies Library]], the Education Library Service, and the Performing Arts Library, as well as a mobile library service based at [[Threemilestone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=24073|title=Your Local Library|publisher=Cornwall Council|access-date=7 September 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829193811/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=24073|archive-date=29 August 2012}}</ref>


===Cultural projects===
===Devolution===
The campaign for Cornish devolution began in 2000 with the founding of the [[Cornish Constitutional Convention]], a cross-party, cross-sector association that campaigns for devolution to Cornwall.<ref>{{Citation|author=Cornish Constitutional Convention|title=About|url=http://www.cornishassembly.org/about.htm|access-date=19 July 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823151946/http://cornishassembly.org/about.htm|archive-date=23 August 2014}}</ref> In 2009 the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] MP [[Dan Rogerson]] introduced a bill in parliament seeking to take power from Whitehall and regional [[quango]]s and pass it to Cornwall Council, with the intention of making the council an assembly similar to the [[National Assembly for Wales]].<ref name=Rogerson>{{cite web|title=Calls for More Power to Cornwall/ |url=http://www.danrogerson.org/2009/07/14/mp-calls-for-more-power-to-cornwall/ |publisher=Dan Rogerson official site |access-date=16 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103060025/http://www.danrogerson.org/2009/07/14/mp-calls-for-more-power-to-cornwall/ |archive-date=3 January 2013}}</ref> In November 2010 the Prime Minister, [[David Cameron]], suggested in comments to the local press that his government would "devolve a lot of power to Cornwall – that will go to the Cornish unitary authority."<ref>{{cite web|title=Cameron on Cornwall, cuts and the coalition|publisher=This is Cornwall|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Cameron-Cornwall-cuts-coalition/article-2943680-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209064513/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Cameron-Cornwall-cuts-coalition/article-2943680-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 December 2012|access-date=12 January 2012}}</ref> In 2011, the then Deputy Prime Minister [[Nick Clegg]] said he would meet a cross party group, including the six Cornish MPs, to look at whether more powers could be devolved to Cornwall.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Western Morning News|title=Clegg to discuss greater powers for Duchy with Cornish MPs|date=16 November 2011|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Clegg-discuss-greater-powers-Duchy-Cornish-MPs/story-13862745-detail/story.html|access-date=12 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117100209/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Clegg-discuss-greater-powers-Duchy-Cornish-MPs/story-13862745-detail/story.html|archive-date=17 November 2011}}</ref>
Cornwall Council is promoting ten cultural projects as part of a five-year culture strategy. One project is the development of a [[National Theatre of Cornwall]], a collaboration of the [[Hall for Cornwall]], [[Kneehigh Theatre]], [[Eden Project]] and [[Wildworks]]. Cornwall Council has based its idea on the successful National Theatres of [[National Theatre of Scotland|Scotland]] and [[National Theatre Wales|Wales]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=West Briton|title=National Theatre hope highlighted by report|date=2 February 2012|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/National-Theatre-plan/story-15108448-detail/story.html|access-date=2 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.is/20120914083029/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/National-Theatre-plan/story-15108448-detail/story.html|archive-date=14 September 2012}}</ref>


Some powers were eventually devolved from the government to Cornwall Council in 2015, relating to matters including bus franchising, education and apprenticeships, renewable energy and energy efficiency and integration of health and social care services.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cornwall devolution deal |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cornwall-devolution-deal |website=gov.uk |access-date=19 February 2024 |date=22 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Devolution-deal-major-shift-Cornwall/story-27454597-detail/story.html|title=Groundbreaking Deal for Cornwall is signed|work=West Briton|access-date=5 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001102526/http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Devolution-deal-major-shift-Cornwall/story-27454597-detail/story.html|archive-date=1 October 2015}}</ref> Further devolved powers were agreed in November 2023, including in relation to adult education and Cornish distinctiveness and promotion of the [[Cornish language]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cornwall devolution deal (Kevambos Digresennans Kernow) 2023 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cornwall-devolution-deal-kevambos-digresennans-kernow-2023 |website=gov.uk |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>
Another of the projects is the proposed creation of a [[Cornish National Library|National Library of Cornwall]] to resolve inadequacies with the current storage of archives.<ref>Cornwall Council – Historic Cornwall Advisory Group – Bagas Kusulya Kernow Istorek – 29 June 2011</ref> It is hoped that this will bring some important documents concerning Cornish history back to Cornwall as well as providing better public access to those records already held. Cornwall Council is also involved in the project to build a [[Stadium for Cornwall]].

===Cornish ethnic and national identity===
Cornwall Council backs the campaign for the [[Cornish people|Cornish]] to be recognised as a [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities|National Minority]] in the UK. The council's then chief executive Kevin Lavery wrote a letter to the Government in 2010, writing, "Cornwall Council firmly believes that the UK Government should recognise the Cornish as a national minority under the terms of the [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities|Framework Convention]]." Adding that, "Cornwall Council believes that the Government's current restricted interpretation is discriminatory against the Cornish and contradicts the support it gives to Cornish culture and identity through its own departments."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=West Briton|title=Cornish minority bid gets a big boost|date=22 April 2010|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cornish-minority-bid-gets-big-boost/story-11484099-detail/story.html|access-date=12 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.is/20120915054931/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cornish-minority-bid-gets-big-boost/story-11484099-detail/story.html|archive-date=15 September 2012}}</ref> Cornwall Council's support was officially reaffirmed as council policy in 2011 with the publication of the Cornish National Minority Report 2, signed and endorsed by the then leaders of every political grouping on the council.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Ian&nbsp;Saltern |title=The Cornish National Minority Report 2 (Excerpts) |date=2011-11-16 |doi=10.1007/s12241-011-0019-x |volume=4 |issue=3 |journal=Europäisches Journal für Minderheitenfragen |pages=187–205|s2cid=146337220 }}</ref> The council took an active role in the promotion of the options for registering Cornish ethnicity and national identity on the [[2011 UK Census]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Census: Cornish identity|publisher=Cornwall County Council|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=26948|date=5 August 2011|access-date=12 January 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928143504/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=26948|archive-date=28 September 2011}}</ref> The Cornish people were finally recognised as a National Minority by the British Government on 24 April 2014 and incorporated into the [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities|European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities]] giving the Cornish the same status as the United Kingdom's other Celtic peoples, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.<ref>{{cite press release|author1=Danny Alexander|author2=Stephen Williams|date=24 April 2014|title=Cornish granted minority status within the UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cornish-granted-minority-status-within-the-uk|publisher=HM Treasury and Department for Communities and Local Government|access-date=7 December 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113175105/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cornish-granted-minority-status-within-the-uk|archive-date=13 January 2016}}</ref>

==International relations==
Since 2008 Cornwall Council and the former county council, together with Cornwall Enterprise, and Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership, have been involved with a Protocol of Cooperation between Cornwall and the Conseil général du [[Finistère]] in [[Brittany]]. The protocol aims to allow the two regions to work more closely on topics of common interest and engage in a knowledge exchange with the possibility of jointly applying for European funding.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4868 |title=Protocol of Co-operation – Cornwall and Finistère |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211222713/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4868 |archive-date=11 December 2013}}</ref> Cornwall is also a member of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions, a partnership of European regions, which aims to promote and highlight the value of these regions to Europe. Cornwall comes under the Atlantic Arc Commission sub-division of 30 regions, which has been used to advertise the potential of renewable energy off the Cornish coast to Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4854 |title=European Partnerships |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=23 March 2010 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211222956/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4854 |archive-date=11 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=29636 |title=Cornwall Council – Cornwall Councillor calls on European leaders |publisher=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=28 October 2011 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902180703/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=29636 |archive-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>

A scheme arising from these partnerships is MERiFIC (Marine Energy in Far Peripheral and Island Communities) which seeks to advance the adoption of marine energy across the two regions, including the [[Isles of Scilly]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4855 |title=European Projects |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=20 January 2012 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207030724/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4855 |archive-date=7 December 2013}}</ref> The project has received £4 million of European funding that will be spent in Cornwall and Brittany.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=27996 |title=Cornwall Council – £4m for renewable energy project in the South |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=9 May 2011 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902164527/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=27996 |archive-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>

Cornwall County Council organised an event in [[Brussels]] in 2008 to promote various aspects of Cornwall, including the Cornish language, food and drink and showcasing Cornwall's design industry. This was part of the Celtic Connections programme of events put together by the [[Celtic nations]] as a showcase for culture in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4873|date=2009-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101093404/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4873|archive-date=2010-11-01}}</ref>

Various fact finding missions have been organised by councillors to study how other regions and small nations of Europe govern themselves successfully. [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] councillor, [[Bert Biscoe]], organised a fact finding mission to [[Guernsey]] in 2011 to see if the island's system of government could be adapted to work in Cornwall.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-14629297|title=Guernsey government may be model for Cornwall|access-date=7 September 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825171244/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-14629297|archive-date=25 August 2011|work=BBC News|date=2011-08-23}}</ref>

Since 2010 Cornwall Council has been a full observer member of the [[British–Irish Council]] due to the [[Cornish language]] falling under the BIC's areas of work.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Read|first1=David|title=Cornish National Minority Advisory Report|date=2014|publisher=Cornwall Council|location=Truro|page=22}}</ref>

==Economic projects==
Cornwall Council, in partnership with the [[Eden Project]], is bidding to have the world's first [[Green Investment Bank]] based in Cornwall. The council is also working with the NHS and Eden to tackle fuel poverty by creating a Cornwall Together co-op which will buy electricity at lower-than-market prices.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-17031187 | work=BBC News | title=Eden Project tackles fuel poverty with co-op plan | date=14 February 2012 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113175105/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-17031187 | archive-date=13 January 2016}}</ref> No further progress has been made on this since it was originally proposed.


==Governance==
Cornwall Council are servicing nearly 30 long term [[lender option borrower option]] loans (LOBOs) totalling £394 million. The council is locked into some of the deals until the year 2078, paying interest at more than double the current market rate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Taxpayers-hit-pound-400m-toxic-loans/story-26848171-detail/story.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-07-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711061516/http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Taxpayers-hit-pound-400m-toxic-loans/story-26848171-detail/story.html |archive-date=11 July 2015}}</ref>
Since 2009, Cornwall Council has provided both [[non-metropolitan county|county-level]] and [[non-metropolitan district|district-level]] services. The whole county is also divided into [[civil parish]]es, which form a second tier of local government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>


===Political control===
==Composition==
The council has been under [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] majority control since the [[2021 Cornwall Council election|2021 election]].
{{Update|date=May 2021}}
The council has 87 councillors. This has been the case since the 2021 elections, implementing the independent [[Local Government Boundary Commission for England]]’s proposal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cornishstuff.com/2017/06/13/commission-proposes-cut-in-numbers-of-cornwall-councillors/|title=Commission proposes cut in numbers of Cornwall Councillors|date=13 June 2017|website=Cornishstuff.com|access-date=1 November 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019003354/https://cornishstuff.com/2017/06/13/commission-proposes-cut-in-numbers-of-cornwall-councillors/|archive-date=19 October 2017}}</ref> Until then, the council had 123 councillors.


Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref><ref name=gain>{{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/locals/html/3852.stm | title = Local election results: Cornwall | access-date = 2009-11-27 | work = [[BBC News Online]]}}</ref>
[[File:Cornwall Council political divisions March 2018 map.svg|thumb|Cornwall Council Electoral Divisions map as of March 2018]]
The composition of Cornwall Council following changes after the 2017 election is:


'''Non-metropolitan county'''
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
! colspan=2 | Councillors<ref>{{cite web | title = Councillors by Party | url = https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 | publisher = Cornwall Council | access-date = 1 April 2018 | url-status = live | archive-url = http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111003084952/http%3A//democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN%3DPARTY%26VW%3DLIST%26PIC%3D0 | archive-date = 3 October 2011}}</ref>
|-
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || 1974–1985
! [[2017 Cornwall Council election|2017 election]]
! Current
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1985–1993
| 46
| '''43'''
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || 1993–1997
| 38
| '''31'''
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1997–2005
| 30
| '''33'''
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || 2005–2009
| 5
|}

| '''4'''
'''Unitary authority'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
{{Party name with colour|Mebyon Kernow}}
| 4
| '''4'''
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} Standalone
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2009–2021
| 0
| '''4'''
|-
|-
{{party name with colour|Independent (politician)}} Alliance
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 2021–present
| 0
| '''3'''
|-
|
|Vacant
| 0
| '''1'''
|-
! colspan=2 | Total
| 123
| 123
|}
|}


===Cabinet===
===Leadership===
The cabinet consists of Julian German, the Council Leader, and nine other cabinet members. It consists of 5 Independents and 5 Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{cite web | title = Cabinet Composition | url = http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=20247 | publisher = Cornwall Council | access-date = 22 August 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131031040558/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=20247 | archive-date = 31 October 2013}}</ref>
The [[leader of the council|leaders of the council]] since 2005 have been:<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1 |website=Cornwall Council |access-date=9 August 2022}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|first1=Cornwall|last1=Council|access-date=2019-08-04|title=Profiles of Cabinet members – Cornwall Council|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/profiles-of-cabinet-members/|website=cornwall.gov.uk}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable"
{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
|-
| David Whalley<ref>{{cite news |title=Leader quits after critics' abuse |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7936554.stm |access-date=10 August 2022 |work=BBC News |date=11 March 2009}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=right|May 2005 || align=right|4 Jun 2009
! colspan=2| Party
! Cabinet Member
! Portfolio
|-
|-
| Alec Robertson || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|23 Jun 2009 || align=right|16 Oct 2012
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| Julian German
| Council Leader
|-
|-
| Jim Currie || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|16 Oct 2012 || align=right|5 May 2013
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| Adam Paynter
| Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| John Pollard || {{party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=right|21 May 2013 || align=right|23 May 2017
| Mike Eathorne-Gibbons
| Customers
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| Adam Paynter || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=right|23 May 2017 || align=right|21 May 2019
| Edwina Hannaford
| Climate Change and Neighbourhoods
|-
|-
| Julian German || {{party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=right|21 May 2019 || align=right|25 May 2021
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| Rob Nolan
| Environment and Public Protection
|-
|-
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| Linda Taylor || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|25 May 2021 ||
| Bob Egerton
| Culture, Economy and Planning
|-
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| Sally Hawken
| Children and Wellbeing and Public Health
|-
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| Rob Rotchell
| Adults
|-
{{Party name with colour|Independent politician}}
| Andrew Mitchell
| Homes
|-
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
| Geoff Brown
| Transport
|}
|}


==Electoral wards==
===Composition===
Following the [[2021 Cornwall Council election|2021 election]] and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to February 2024, the composition of the council was:
The county, not including the [[Isles of Scilly]], is divided into 122 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|wards]]. Each ward returns one councillor with the exception of [[Bude]], which returns two. Some wards are coterminous with [[civil parishes]], though most consist of multiple parishes or parts of parishes. The following is a list of the electoral wards of Cornwall before the 2021 elections:

{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
* [[Altarnun (electoral division)|Altarnun]]
* [[Bodmin St Leonard (electoral division)|Bodmin St Leonard]]
* [[Bodmin St Mary's (electoral division)|Bodmin St Mary's]]
* [[Bodmin St Petroc (electoral division)|Bodmin St Petroc]]
* [[Breage, Germoe and Sithney (electoral division)|Breage, Germoe & Sithney]]
* [[Bude (electoral division)|Bude]]
* [[Bugle (electoral division)|Bugle]]
* [[Callington (electoral division)|Callington]]
* [[Camborne Pendarves (electoral division)|Camborne Pendarves]]
* [[Camborne Roskear (electoral division)|Camborne Roskear]]
* [[Camborne Trelowarren (electoral division)|Camborne Trelowarren]]
* [[Camborne Treslothan (electoral division)|Camborne Treslothan]]
* [[Camborne Treswithian (electoral division)|Camborne Treswithian]]
* [[Camelford (electoral division)|Camelford]]
* [[Carharrack, Gwennap and St Day (electoral division)|Carharrack, Gwennap & St Day]]
* [[Chacewater, Kenwyn and Baldhu (electoral division)|Chacewater, Kenwyn & Baldhu]]
* [[Constantine, Mawnan and Budock (electoral division)|Constantine, Mawnan & Budock]]
* [[Crowan and Wendron (electoral division)|Crowan & Wendron]]
* [[Falmouth Arwenack (electoral division)|Falmouth Arwenack]]
* [[Falmouth Boslowick (electoral division)|Falmouth Boslowick]]
* [[Falmouth Penwerris (electoral division)|Falmouth Penwerris]]
* [[Falmouth Smithick (electoral division)|Falmouth Smithick]]
* [[Falmouth Trescobeas (electoral division)|Falmouth Trescobeas]]
* [[Feock and Playing Place (electoral division)|Feock & Playing Place]]
* [[Four Lanes (electoral division)|Four Lanes]]
* [[Fowey and Tywardreath (electoral division)|Fowey & Tywardreath]]
* [[Grenville and Stratton (electoral division)|Grenville & Stratton]]
* [[Gulval and Heamoor (electoral division)|Gulval & Heamoor]]
* [[Gunnislake and Calstock (electoral division)|Gunnislake & Calstock]]
* [[Gwinear-Gwithian and St Erth (electoral division)|Gwinear-Gwithian & St Erth]]
* [[Hayle North (electoral division)|Hayle North]]
* [[Hayle South (electoral division)|Hayle South]]
* [[Helston North (electoral division)|Helston North]]
* [[Helston South (electoral division)|Helston South]]
* [[Illogan (electoral division)|Illogan]]
* [[Ladock, St Clement and St Erme (electoral division)|Ladock, St Clement & St Erme]]
* [[Lanner and Stithians (electoral division)|Lanner & Stithians]]
* [[Lanivet and Blisland (electoral division)|Lanivet & Blisland]]
* [[Launceston Central (electoral division)|Launceston Central]]
* [[Launceston North and North Petherwin (electoral division)|Launceston North & North Petherwin]]
* [[Launceston South (electoral division)|Launceston South]]
{{col-break}}
* [[Lelant and Carbis Bay (electoral division)|Lelant & Carbis Bay]]
* [[Liskeard East (electoral division)|Liskeard East]]
* [[Liskeard North (electoral division)|Liskeard North]]
* [[Liskeard West and Dobwalls (electoral division)|Liskeard West & Dobwalls]]
* [[Looe East (electoral division)|Looe East]]
* [[Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos (electoral division)|Looe West, Lansallos & Lanteglos]]
* [[Lostwithiel (electoral division)|Lostwithiel]]
* [[Ludgvan (electoral division)|Ludgvan]]
* [[Lynher (electoral division)|Lynher]]
* [[Mabe, Perranarworthal and St Gluvias (electoral division)|Mabe, Perranarworthal & St Gluvias]]
* [[Marazion and Perranuthnoe (electoral division)|Marazion & Perranuthnoe]]
* [[Menheniot (electoral division)|Menheniot]]
* [[Mevagissey (electoral division)|Mevagissey]]
* [[Mount Charles (electoral division)|Mount Charles]]
* [[Mount Hawke and Portreath (electoral division)|Mount Hawke & Portreath]]
* [[Mullion and Grade-Ruan (electoral division)|Mullion & Grade-Ruan]]
* [[Newlyn and Goonhavern (electoral division)|Newlyn & Goonhavern]]
* [[Newlyn and Mousehole (electoral division)|Newlyn & Mousehole]]
* [[Newquay Central (electoral division)|Newquay Central]]
* [[Newquay Pentire (electoral division)|Newquay Pentire]]
* [[Newquay Treloggan (electoral division)|Newquay Treloggan]]
* [[Newquay Tretherras (electoral division)|Newquay Tretherras]]
* [[Newquay Treviglas (electoral division)|Newquay Treviglas]]
* [[Padstow (electoral division)|Padstow]]
* [[Par and St Blazey Gate (electoral division)|Par & St Blazey Gate]]
* [[Penryn East and Mylor (electoral division)|Penryn East & Mylor]]
* [[Penryn West (electoral division)|Penryn West]]
* [[Penwithick and Boscoppa (electoral division)|Penwithick & Boscoppa]]
* [[Penzance Central (electoral division)|Penzance Central]]
* [[Penzance East (electoral division)|Penzance East]]
* [[Penzance Promenade (electoral division)|Penzance Promenade]]
* [[Perranporth (electoral division)|Perranporth]]
* [[Pool and Tehidy (electoral division)|Pool & Tehidy]]
* [[Porthleven and Helston West (electoral division)|Porthleven & Helston West]]
* [[Poundstock (electoral division)|Poundstock]]
* [[Probus, Tregony and Grampound (electoral division)|Probus, Tregony & Grampound]]
* [[Rame Peninsula (electoral division)|Rame Peninsula]]
* [[Redruth Central (electoral division)|Redruth Central]]
* [[Redruth North (electoral division)|Redruth North]]
* [[Redruth South (electoral division)|Redruth South]]
* [[Roche (electoral division)|Roche]]
{{col-break}}
* [[Roseland (electoral division)|Roseland]]
* [[Saltash East (electoral division)|Saltash East]]
* [[Saltash North (electoral division)|Saltash North]]
* [[Saltash South (electoral division)|Saltash South]]
* [[Saltash West (electoral division)|Saltash West]]
* [[St Agnes (electoral division)|St Agnes]]
* [[St Austell Bay (electoral division)|St Austell Bay]]
* [[St Austell Bethel (electoral division)|St Austell Bethel]]
* [[St Austell Gover (electoral division)|St Austell Gover]]
* [[St Austell Poltair (electoral division)|St Austell Poltair]]
* [[St Blazey (electoral division)|St Blazey]]
* [[St Buryan (electoral division)|St Buryan]]
* [[St Cleer (electoral division)|St Cleer]]
* [[St Columb Major (electoral division)|St Columb Major]]
* [[St Dennis and Nanpean (electoral division)|St Dennis & Nanpean]]
* [[St Dominick, Harrowbarrow and Kelly Bray (electoral division)|St Dominick, Harrowbarrow & Kelly Bray]]
* [[St Enoder (electoral division)|St Enoder]]
* [[St Germans and Landulph (electoral division)|St Germans & Landulph]]
* [[St Issey and St Tudy (electoral division)|St Issey & St Tudy]]
* [[St Ives East (electoral division)|St Ives East]]
* [[St Ives West (electoral division)|St Ives West]]
* [[St Just in Penwith (electoral division)|St Just in Penwith]]
* [[St Keverne and Meneage (electoral division)|St Keverne & Meneage]]
* [[St Mawgan and Colan (electoral division)|St Mawgan & Colan]]
* [[St Mewan (electoral division)|St Mewan]]
* [[St Minver and St Endellion (electoral division)|St Minver & St Endellion]]
* [[St Stephen-in-Brannel (electoral division)|St Stephen-in-Brannel]]
* [[St Teath and St Breward (electoral division)|St Teath & St Breward]]
* [[Stokeclimsland (electoral division)|Stokeclimsland]]
* [[Threemilestone and Gloweth (electoral division)|Threemilestone & Gloweth]]
* [[Tintagel (electoral division)|Tintagel]]
* [[Torpoint East (electoral division)|Torpoint East]]
* [[Torpoint West (electoral division)|Torpoint West]]
* [[Trelawny (electoral division)|Trelawny]]
* [[Truro Boscawen (electoral division)|Truro Boscawen]]
* [[Truro Redannick (electoral division)|Truro Redannick]]
* [[Truro Tregolls (electoral division)|Truro Tregolls]]
* [[Truro Trehaverne (electoral division)|Truro Trehaverne]]
* [[Wadebridge East (electoral division)|Wadebridge East]]
* [[Wadebridge West (electoral division)|Wadebridge West]]
{{col-end}}

==Elections and changes==
{{See also|Cornwall Council elections}}

===2009 Cornwall Council elections===
{{Main|2009 Cornwall Council election}}
Elections for the new unitary Cornwall Council were held on 4 June 2009 and there were 123 members elected, replacing the previous 82 councillors on Cornwall County Council and the 249 on the six district councils.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=17444 | title = Electoral divisions | publisher = Cornwall County | date = 2 September 2009 | access-date = 21 September 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090725150141/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=17444 | archive-date = 25 July 2009}}</ref> The outgoing Cornwall County Council had 48 [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] members, nine [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], five [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]], one from the small [[Liberal Party (UK, 1989)|Liberal Party]] with the remaining 19 seats held by Independent candidates. [[Mebyon Kernow]] had no county councillors, but nine district councillors, before the two-tier system was abolished.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8046155.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 13 May 2009 | title = First election for new authority | access-date = 21 September 2009 | first = Martyn | last = Oates | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090607053659/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8046155.stm | archive-date = 7 June 2009}}</ref>

The Lib Dems lost overall control of Cornwall Council to 'no overall control' – this means that no single party has overall control of the new council despite the Conservatives have the largest number of councillors, however they do not have enough for a majority control.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8084706.stm | title = Lib Dems lose control of Cornwall | date = 5 June 2009 | publisher = BBC | access-date = 21 September 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090608173502/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8084706.stm | archive-date = 8 June 2009}}</ref> The cabinet of the council was therefore formed as a coalition between the Conservatives and the Independent bloc.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=577 | title = Committee details | publisher = Cornwall Council | access-date =27 September 2010}}</ref> The Conservatives received 34% of the vote (50 seats), followed by the Liberal Democrats on 28% (38 seats), the Independents on 23% (32 seats) and Mebyon Kernow on 4% (3 seats). The turnout was 41%. Labour, the Green Party, UKIP and the BNP failed to secure any seats in Cornwall.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=1&RPID=112094&TPID=112100& | title = Cornwall Council elections – Thursday, 4 June 2009 | publisher = Cornwall Council | access-date =21 September 2009}}</ref>

===By-elections and defections, 2009 to 2013===
In August 2010, Councillor Neil Plummer of Stithians left the Independent group and joined [[Mebyon Kernow]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mebyonkernow.blogspot.com/2010/08/cllr-neil-plummer-joins-mk-group.html|title=Cllr Neil Plummer joins MK Group|author=Cllr Dick Cole|date=4 August 2010|work=mebyonkernow.blogspot.com|access-date=5 October 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113175105/http://mebyonkernow.blogspot.com/2010/08/cllr-neil-plummer-joins-mk-group.html|archive-date=13 January 2016}}</ref> He later left Mebyon Kernow and stood for re-election as an independent.

In June 2011 Liskeard North councillor Jan Powell defected from the Conservatives to join the Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Graham|title=Jan Powell quits Tories and joins Lib Dems|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/grahamsmith/2011/06/jan_powell_quits_tories_and_jo.html|publisher=BBC|access-date=20 September 2011|date=17 June 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820065056/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/grahamsmith/2011/06/jan_powell_quits_tories_and_jo.html|archive-date=20 August 2011}}</ref>

In May 2012 two Liberal Democrat councillors left the Liberal Democrat group to join the Independent Group. Chris Pascoe, the councillor for Threemilestone and Gloweth, resigned in protest over the national actions of the Liberal Democrat party and the introduction of the "pasty tax".<ref>{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Miles|title=Cornwall Councillor Chris Pascoe Quits Lib Dems Over Pasty Tax|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cornwall-Councillor-Chris-Pascoe-Quits-Lib-Dems/story-16087380-detail/story.html|publisher=This is Cornwall|access-date=16 May 2012|date=15 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517190109/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cornwall-Councillor-Chris-Pascoe-Quits-Lib-Dems/story-16087380-detail/story.html|archive-date=17 May 2012}}</ref> Graham Walker, councillor for [[St Austell]] Bethel, defected in protest over the coalition government's education policies.<ref>{{cite web|title=A highly respected Lib Dem Cllr has left the party in 'disillusion' at the Con/Dem coalition's education policies.|url=http://www.cornwallcommunitynews.co.uk/2012/05/16/the-independent/|publisher=Cornwall Community News|access-date=20 May 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022055541/http://www.cornwallcommunitynews.co.uk/2012/05/16/the-independent/|archive-date=22 October 2013}}</ref>

In September 2012 another Liberal Democrat councillor resigned from the party. Tamsin Williams, the member for [[Penzance]] Central, defected to Mebyon Kernow, having previously been a member of it in the 1990s. She was the second member to defect to Mebyon Kernow since 2009, and her change of allegiance came after "bad decisions made by the London parties."<ref>{{cite web|title=Penzance councillor joins Mebyon Kernow|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Penzance-councillor-joins-Mebyon-Kernow/story-16886248-detail/story.html/|publisher=This is Cornwall|access-date=12 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914004910/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Penzance-councillor-joins-Mebyon-Kernow/story-16886248-detail/story.html|archive-date=14 September 2012}}</ref> During the same month of September 2012, one Independent councillor, Lisa Dolley, left the council's Independent Group to become an ungrouped independent.

In March 2013 Conservative cabinet member for [[Looe East (electoral division)|Looe East]], Armand Toms, defected to the Independents over the party's decision to freeze Council Tax rather than increase it.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cornwall Council cabinet member Armand Toms quits Conservatives|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-21788613|work=[[BBC News Online]]|access-date=26 January 2014|date=14 March 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524200054/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-21788613|archive-date=24 May 2013}}</ref>

A total of 5 by-elections were held to Cornwall Council in the 2009–2013 term of office. They are illustrated in the table below.

{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! colspan="2" |Party !! Councillors
!! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | By-election
!! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Date
!! scope="col" style="width: 120px;" | Incumbent
!! scope="col" style="width: 173px;" colspan=2 | Party
!! scope="col" style="width: 120px;" | Winner
!! scope="col" style="width: 173px;" colspan=2 | Party
!! scope="col" style="width: 500px;" | Cause
|-
|-
| {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=center|45
|St Keverne and Meneage
|20 September 2012
|Pam Lyne
{{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
|Walter Sanger<ref>{{cite web|title=Election results for St Keverne and Meneage|url=https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=142&RPID=3456728|publisher=Cornwall Council|access-date=4 February 2013|date=2012-09-20}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Death
|-
|-
| {{party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=center|18
|[[Crowan & Wendron (electoral division)|Wendron]]
|24 November 2011
|Mike Clayton
{{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
|Loveday Jenkin<ref>{{cite web|title=Mebyon Kernow triumph in Wendron election|url=http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/9386600.Mebyon_Kernow_triumph_in_Wendron_election/|publisher=[[Falmouth Packet]]|access-date=26 November 2011|date=25 November 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427143359/http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/9386600.Mebyon_Kernow_triumph_in_Wendron_election/|archive-date=27 April 2015}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Mebyon Kernow}}
|Death<ref>{{cite web |author1=Emma Goodfellow |title=Wendron Cornwall councillor Mike Clayton dies |url=https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/9272463.wendron-cornwall-councillor-mike-clayton-dies/ |website=[[Falmouth Packet]] |access-date=1 November 2020 |date=26 September 2011}}</ref>
|-
|-
| {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=center|13
|Bude North and Stratton
|27 October 2011
|Nathan Bale
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|David Parsons
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation
|-
|-
| {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=center|5
|Camborne North
|13 January 2011
|Bill Jenkin
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Jude Robinson<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=David|title=Labour sees massive swing to triumph in Camborne North election for Cornwall Council|url=http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/8791436.Labour_triumphs_in_Camborne_North_by_election/?ref=rss|publisher=[[Falmouth Packet]]|access-date=20 September 2011|date=14 January 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002184348/http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/8791436.Labour_triumphs_in_Camborne_North_by_election/?ref=rss|archive-date=2 October 2011}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|Resignation
|-
|-
| {{party name with colour|Mebyon Kernow}} || align=center|5
|St Austell Bay
|26 November 2009
|Richard Stewart
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|John Oxenham<ref>{{cite web|url=http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=2&RPID=1545358|title=Election results for St Austell Bay By-election|date=26 November 2009|publisher=Cornwall Council|access-date=5 October 2015}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation
|-
|-
| {{party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}} || align=center|1
|-
! colspan="2" |Total:
!87
|}
|}
Mebyon Kernow and the Green councillor sit together as a group. Of the independent councillors, 15 form the "Independent Group", the other three do not belong to a group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Councillors by party |url=https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Cornwall Council |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref> The next election is due in 2025.


==Elections==
===2013 Cornwall Council elections===
{{Main|2013 Cornwall Council election}}
{{also|Cornwall Council elections}}
[[File:Cornwall Council political divisions May 2021 map.svg|thumb|Cornwall Council Electoral Divisions map as of May 2021]]
The Conservatives lost 18 seats, meaning they were no longer the largest group in the council. A new coalition was formed, between the Independents and the Liberal Democrats.
Since the last boundary changes in 2021 the county has been divided into 87 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral divisions]], each electing one [[councillor]]. Elections are held every four years.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cornwall (Electoral Changes) Order 2019|year=2019|number=1088|access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cornwall (Electoral Changes) Order 2021|year=2021|number=106|access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>


==Premises==
===By-elections and defections, 2013 to 2017===
The council has its headquarters at [[Lys Kernow]], also known as New County Hall, on Treyew Road in Truro. It was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1966.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1323700|desc=New County Hall including terrace pool surrounds and bridge to courtyard|grade=II|access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>
In February 2016, the Independent councillor for [[Redruth|Redruth North]], Lisa Dolley, who had been Deputy Leader of the Independent group on the council, defected to the Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/14277297.Redruth_councillor_Lisa_Dolley_becomes_a_Liberal_Democrat_after_quitting_the_Independent_group_at_County_Hall/|title=Redruth councillor Lisa Dolley becomes a Liberal Democrat after quitting the Independent group at County Hall|newspaper=The Falmouth Packet|date=15 February 2016|access-date=15 February 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819073103/http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/14277297.Redruth_councillor_Lisa_Dolley_becomes_a_Liberal_Democrat_after_quitting_the_Independent_group_at_County_Hall/|archive-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> She later left the Liberal Democrats and designated herself as a standalone independent in December of that year.


[[File:Old County Hall Truro.jpeg|thumb|[[Old County Hall, Truro]]: Council's headquarters 1912–1966]]
In September 2016 Paul White, the Conservative councillor for [[Camborne|Camborne Roskear]], left the Conservative group and designated himself as a standalone independent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/camborne-s-conservative-county-councillor-paul-white-severs-ties-with-the-party/story-29679765-detail/story.html|title=Camborne's Conservative county councillor Paul White severs ties with the party|newspaper=The West Briton|date=2 September 2016|access-date=8 September 2016}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=SheriffIsInTown |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
The quarter sessions which preceded the county council had generally met at the [[Shire Hall, Bodmin|Shire Hall]] in [[Bodmin]]. From its first meeting in 1889 the county council chose instead to meet in Truro, where it initially met at the Municipal Buildings (later called City Hall, now the [[Hall for Cornwall]]). In 1912 the council moved to a new building at [[Old County Hall, Truro|County Hall]] on Station Road in Truro, which served as the council's headquarters until 1966.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1282633|desc=Old County Hall|grade=II|access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Cornwall County Council: Opening of the New County Hall |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=19 February 2024 |work=Royal Cornwall Gazette |date=15 August 1912 |location=Truro |page=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=28 November 2016 |title=County Hall open day |url=http://www.cornish-times.co.uk/article.cfm?id=107534&headline=County%20Hall%20open%20day&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2016 |accessdate=21 September 2019}}</ref>


==Cultural services==
In December 2016 Hanna Toms, the Labour councillor for [[Falmouth, Cornwall|Falmouth Penwerris]], was expelled from the Labour group after pleading guilty to two counts of benefits fraud before Truro Magistrates Court. She continued to sit as a standalone independent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-38213390|title=Cornwall Councillor Hanna Toms admits benefits fraud|date=5 December 2016|publisher=BBC|access-date=6 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205220616/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-38213390|archive-date=5 December 2016}}</ref>
Among the services provided by the council is a [[public library]] service which consists of a main library in Truro and smaller libraries in towns and some villages throughout Cornwall. There are also the following special libraries: Cornwall Learning Library, [[Cornish Studies Library]], the Education Library Service, and the Performing Arts Library, as well as a mobile library service based at [[Threemilestone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=24073|title=Your Local Library|publisher=Cornwall Council|access-date=7 September 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829193811/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=24073|archive-date=29 August 2012}}</ref>


===Cultural projects===
Later in December 2016 Jon Stoneman, the Conservative councillor for [[Camborne|Camborne Trelowarren]], left the Conservative group and designated himself as a standalone independent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1750|title=Councillor details – Jon Stoneman|date=1 November 2017|website=Democracy.cornwall.gov.uk|access-date=1 November 2017}}</ref>
Cornwall Council is promoting ten cultural projects as part of a five-year culture strategy. One project is the development of a [[National Theatre of Cornwall]], a collaboration of the [[Hall for Cornwall]], [[Kneehigh Theatre]], [[Eden Project]] and [[Wildworks]]. Cornwall Council has based its idea on the successful National Theatres of [[National Theatre of Scotland|Scotland]] and [[National Theatre Wales|Wales]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=West Briton|title=National Theatre hope highlighted by report|date=2 February 2012|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/National-Theatre-plan/story-15108448-detail/story.html|access-date=2 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914083029/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/National-Theatre-plan/story-15108448-detail/story.html|archive-date=14 September 2012}}</ref>


Another of the projects is the proposed creation of a [[Cornish National Library|National Library of Cornwall]] to resolve inadequacies with the current storage of archives.<ref>Cornwall Council – Historic Cornwall Advisory Group – Bagas Kusulya Kernow Istorek – 29 June 2011</ref> It is hoped that this will bring some important documents concerning Cornish history back to Cornwall as well as providing better public access to those records already held. Cornwall Council is also involved in the project to build a [[Stadium for Cornwall]].
A total of 14 by-elections were held to Cornwall Council in the 2013–2017 term of office. They are illustrated in the table below.


===Cornish ethnic and national identity===
{| class="wikitable"
Cornwall Council backs the campaign for the [[Cornish people|Cornish]] to be recognised as a [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities|National Minority]] in the UK. The council's then chief executive Kevin Lavery wrote a letter to the Government in 2010, writing, "Cornwall Council firmly believes that the UK Government should recognise the Cornish as a national minority under the terms of the [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities|Framework Convention]]." Adding that, "Cornwall Council believes that the Government's current restricted interpretation is discriminatory against the Cornish and contradicts the support it gives to Cornish culture and identity through its own departments."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=West Briton|title=Cornish minority bid gets a big boost|date=22 April 2010|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cornish-minority-bid-gets-big-boost/story-11484099-detail/story.html|access-date=12 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915054931/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cornish-minority-bid-gets-big-boost/story-11484099-detail/story.html|archive-date=15 September 2012}}</ref> Cornwall Council's support was officially reaffirmed as council policy in 2011 with the publication of the Cornish National Minority Report 2, signed and endorsed by the then leaders of every political grouping on the council.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Ian&nbsp;Saltern |title=The Cornish National Minority Report 2 (Excerpts) |date=2011-11-16 |doi=10.1007/s12241-011-0019-x |volume=4 |issue=3 |journal=Europäisches Journal für Minderheitenfragen |pages=187–205|s2cid=146337220 }}</ref> The council took an active role in the promotion of the options for registering Cornish ethnicity and national identity on the [[2011 UK Census]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Census: Cornish identity|publisher=Cornwall County Council|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=26948|date=5 August 2011|access-date=12 January 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928143504/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=26948|archive-date=28 September 2011}}</ref> The Cornish people were finally recognised as a National Minority by the British Government on 24 April 2014 and incorporated into the [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities|European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities]] giving the Cornish the same status as the United Kingdom's other Celtic peoples, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.<ref>{{cite press release|author1=Danny Alexander|author2=Stephen Williams|date=24 April 2014|title=Cornish granted minority status within the UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cornish-granted-minority-status-within-the-uk|publisher=HM Treasury and Department for Communities and Local Government|access-date=7 December 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113175105/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cornish-granted-minority-status-within-the-uk|archive-date=13 January 2016}}</ref>
|-
!! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | By-election
!! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Date
!! scope="col" style="width: 120px;" | Incumbent
!! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" colspan=2 | Party
!! scope="col" style="width: 120px;" | Winner
!! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" colspan=2 | Party
!! scope="col" style="width: 500px;" | Cause
|-
|Four Lanes
|1 September 2016
|Derek Elliot
{{Party name with colour|UKIP}}
|Nathan Billings<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/21522241/declaration-of-result-of-poll-four-lanes-electoral-division-1-september-2016.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Four Lanes|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=1 September 2016|access-date=2 September 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924043854/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/21522241/declaration-of-result-of-poll-four-lanes-electoral-division-1-september-2016.pdf|archive-date=24 September 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/four-lanes-councillor-signs-off-in-dramatic-fashion-by-slamming-cornwall-council/story-29491055-detail/story.html|title=Four Lanes councillor signs off in dramatic fashion by slamming Cornwall Council|website=Westbriton.co.uk|date=8 July 2016|access-date=29 July 2016}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=SheriffIsInTown |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
|Newlyn and Goonhavern
|28 July 2016
|Lisa Shuttlewood
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Maggie Vale<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/20932870/declaration-of-result-of-poll-newlyn-and-goonhavern-electoral-division-28-july-2016.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Newlyn and Goonhavern|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=28 July 2016|access-date=2 September 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924043631/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/20932870/declaration-of-result-of-poll-newlyn-and-goonhavern-electoral-division-28-july-2016.pdf|archive-date=24 September 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation
|-
|St Teath and St Breward
|14 July 2016
|John Lugg
{{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
|Dominic Fairman<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/20650329/declaration-of-result-of-poll-st-teath-and-st-breward-division-14-july-2016.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll St Teath and St Breward|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=14 July 2016|access-date=18 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922182720/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/20650329/declaration-of-result-of-poll-st-teath-and-st-breward-division-14-july-2016.pdf|archive-date=22 September 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation
|-
|Newquay Trevligas
|14 July 2016
|Mark Hicks
{{Party name with colour|UKIP}}
|Paul Summers<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/20650327/declaration-of-result-of-poll-newquay-treviglas-ed-14-july-2016.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Newquay Trevligas|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=14 July 2016|access-date=18 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922182939/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/20650327/declaration-of-result-of-poll-newquay-treviglas-ed-14-july-2016.pdf|archive-date=22 September 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation
|-
|Menheniot
|14 April 2016
|Bernie Ellis
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Phil Seeva<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/18796060/declaration-of-result-of-poll-menheniot-ed-14-april-2016.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Menheniot|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=14 April 2016|access-date=18 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922182535/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/18796060/declaration-of-result-of-poll-menheniot-ed-14-april-2016.pdf|archive-date=22 September 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Death
|-
|Wadebridge West
|14 April 2016
|[[Scott Mann (politician)|Scott Mann]]
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Karen McHugh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/18796056/declaration-of-result-of-poll-wadebridge-west-ed-14-april-2016.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Wadebridge West|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=14 April 2016|access-date=18 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922183810/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/18796056/declaration-of-result-of-poll-wadebridge-west-ed-14-april-2016.pdf|archive-date=22 September 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation due to being elected as an MP at the 2015 General Election<ref>{{cite web |author1=Richard Whitehouse |title=Cornwall Council has turned 10 and MP Scott Mann says it was a mistake |url=https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cornwall-council-turned-10-mp-2700077 |website=Cornwall Live |access-date=27 March 2021 |date=31 March 2019}}</ref>
|-
|Launceston Central
|14 January 2016
|Alex Folkes
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Gemma Massey<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/17105783/declaration-of-result-of-poll-launceston-central-ed-14-january-2016.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Launceston Central|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=14 January 2016|access-date=18 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922182422/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/17105783/declaration-of-result-of-poll-launceston-central-ed-14-january-2016.pdf|archive-date=22 September 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation due to mental health reasons<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/alex-folkes-quits-politics-health-reasons/story-27923491-detail/story.html |title=Alex Folkes quits politics for health reasons |access-date=2016-09-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008064831/http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Alex-Folkes-quits-politics-health-reasons/story-27923491-detail/story.html |archive-date=8 October 2015}}</ref>
|-
|[[Camborne Pendarves (electoral division)|Camborne Pendarves]]
|20 August 2015
|Harry Blakeley
{{Party name with colour|UKIP}}
|John Herd<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/12358925/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Constantine-Mawnan-and-Budock-ED-7-May-2015.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Camborne Pendarves|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=20 August 2015|access-date=18 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195142/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/12358925/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Constantine-Mawnan-and-Budock-ED-7-May-2015.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Resignation<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/pendarves-ward-councillor-harry-blakeley-resigns/story-26699478-detail/story.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-09-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225143629/http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Pendarves-ward-councillor-Harry-Blakeley-resigns/story-26699478-detail/story.html |archive-date=25 December 2015}}</ref>
|-
|Constantine, Mawnan and Budock
|7 May 2015
|Neil Hatton
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|John Bastin<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/12358925/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Constantine-Mawnan-and-Budock-ED-7-May-2015.pdf|title=Declaration of Result of Poll Constantine Mawnan and Budock|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|date=8 May 2015|access-date=12 May 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022151956/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/12358925/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Constantine-Mawnan-and-Budock-ED-7-May-2015.pdf|archive-date=22 October 2015}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Resignation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://localcouncils.co.uk/2015/03/is-this-the-way-to-llantwit-major/|title=Is this the way to Llantwit Major?|website=LocalCouncils.co.uk|date=27 March 2015|access-date=19 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427152008/http://localcouncils.co.uk/2015/03/is-this-the-way-to-llantwit-major/|archive-date=27 April 2015}}</ref>
|-
|Camborne Treswithian
|7 May 2015
|Viv Lewis
{{Party name with colour|UKIP}}
|Jude Robinson<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/election-sees-Jude-Robinson-return-Cornwall/story-26479721-detail/story.html|title=By-election sees Jude Robinson return to Cornwall Council|publisher=West Briton|date=11 May 2015|access-date=12 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716205358/http://www.westbriton.co.uk/election-sees-Jude-Robinson-return-Cornwall/story-26479721-detail/story.html|archive-date=16 July 2015}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|Resignation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Controversial-Cornwall-Councillor-Viv-Lewis-steps/story-26238186-detail/story.html|title=Controversial Cornwall Councillor Viv Lewis steps down|publisher=West Briton|date=26 March 2015|access-date=19 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427142853/http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Controversial-Cornwall-Councillor-Viv-Lewis-steps/story-26238186-detail/story.html|archive-date=27 April 2015}}</ref>
|-
|Mevagissey
|6 November 2014
|Michael Bunney
{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
|James Mustoe<ref>{{cite web|url=https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=450&RPID=500022025|title=Election results for Mevagissey|website=Cornwall.gov.uk|access-date=19 April 2015|date=2014-11-06}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Resignation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Tories-win-Mevagissey-election-UKIP-cries-foul/story-24513934-detail/story.html|title=Tories win Mevagissey by-election but UKIP cries foul over Lib Dem "smears"|work=Cornish Guardian|date=13 November 2014|access-date=19 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923210724/http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Tories-win-Mevagissey-election-UKIP-cries-foul/story-24513934-detail/story.html|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mabe, Perranarworthal and St Gluvias (electoral division)|Mabe, Perranarworthal and St Gluvias]]
|17 July 2014
|Michael Keogh
{{Party name with colour|UKIP}}
|Reginald Williams<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/7441244/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Mabe-P-and-St-G-ED-17-July-2014.pdf |title=Declaration of Result of Poll : Mabe, Perranarworthal and St Gluvias Electoral Division |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |access-date=2015-03-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923222528/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/7441244/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Mabe-P-and-St-G-ED-17-July-2014.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|Resignation<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westbriton.co.uk/ukip-councillor-michael-keogh-resigns-cornwall/story-21147421-detail/story.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-09-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011093951/http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Ukip-councillor-Michael-Keogh-resigns-Cornwall/story-21147421-detail/story.html |archive-date=11 October 2014}}</ref>
|-
|Illogan
|10 July 2014
|Terry Wilkins
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|David Ekinsmyth<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/7371546/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Illogan-ED-10-July-2014.pdf |title=Declaration of Result of Poll : Illogan Electoral Division |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |access-date=2015-03-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923222526/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/7371546/Declaration-of-Result-of-Poll-Illogan-ED-10-July-2014.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation as a result of his falsely claiming to have an MBE.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Cornwall-Councillor-Terry-Wilkins-resign-claiming/story-21024186-detail/story.html |title=Cornwall Councillor Terry Wilkins to resign after claiming he had MBE |website=Westernmorningnews.co.uk |date=2014-04-28 |access-date=2015-03-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430003129/http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Cornwall-Councillor-Terry-Wilkins-resign-claiming/story-21024186-detail/story.html |archive-date=30 April 2014}}</ref>
|-
|Wadebridge East
|5 September 2013
|Collin Brewer
{{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
|Steve Knightley<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/election-results-and-information/cornwall-council-by-elections/wadebridge-east-division-result-of-poll-5-september-2013/ |title=Wadebridge East division – Result of Poll – 5 September 2013 – Cornwall Council |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=2013-09-05 |access-date=2015-03-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402191324/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/election-results-and-information/cornwall-council-by-elections/wadebridge-east-division-result-of-poll-5-september-2013/ |archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}
|Resignation following a motion of censure<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-23251544|title=Disabled row councillor resigns|date=10 July 2013|access-date=1 November 2017|publisher=BBC|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130161935/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-23251544|archive-date=30 November 2017}}</ref>
|-
|}


==International relations==
===2017 Cornwall Council elections===
Since 2008 Cornwall Council and the former county council, together with Cornwall Enterprise, and Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership, have been involved with a Protocol of Cooperation between Cornwall and the Conseil général du [[Finistère]] in [[Brittany]]. The protocol aims to allow the two regions to work more closely on topics of common interest and engage in a knowledge exchange with the possibility of jointly applying for European funding.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4868 |title=Protocol of Co-operation – Cornwall and Finistère |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211222713/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4868 |archive-date=11 December 2013}}</ref> Cornwall is also a member of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions, a partnership of European regions, which aims to promote and highlight the value of these regions to Europe. Cornwall comes under the Atlantic Arc Commission sub-division of 30 regions, which has been used to advertise the potential of renewable energy off the Cornish coast to Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4854 |title=European Partnerships |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=23 March 2010 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211222956/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4854 |archive-date=11 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=29636 |title=Cornwall Council – Cornwall Councillor calls on European leaders |publisher=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=28 October 2011 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902180703/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=29636 |archive-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
{{Main|2017 Cornwall Council election}}
The Cornwall Council elections were held on 4 May 2017. The Conservatives increased their seat tally to win a plurality of seats, but the Liberal Democrat/Independent coalition continued with a reduced majority.


A scheme arising from these partnerships is MERiFIC (Marine Energy in Far Peripheral and Island Communities) which seeks to advance the adoption of marine energy across the two regions, including the [[Isles of Scilly]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4855 |title=European Projects |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=20 January 2012 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207030724/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=4855 |archive-date=7 December 2013}}</ref> The project has received £4 million of European funding that will be spent in Cornwall and Brittany.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=27996 |title=Cornwall Council – £4m for renewable energy project in the South |website=Cornwall.gov.uk |date=9 May 2011 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902164527/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=27996 |archive-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
===By-elections and defections, 2017 to 2021===
The May 2017 election in the Bodmin St Petroc ward was delayed following the death of Liberal Democrat candidate Steve Rogerson and was held on 8 June, remaining vacant in the interim.<ref>{{cite news|title=Elections 2017: Polls close across England|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39706945|work=[[BBC News Online]]|access-date=8 March 2018|date=4 May 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611162532/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39706945|archive-date=11 June 2017}}</ref> The subsequent election was won by [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] Leigh Frost.<ref>{{cite web|title=DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL – Bodmin St Petroc Electoral Division|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/26989805/declaration-of-result-of-poll-bodmin-st-petroc-electoral-division-8-june-2017.pdf|publisher=Cornwall Council|access-date=8 March 2018|date=9 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308103844/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/26989805/declaration-of-result-of-poll-bodmin-st-petroc-electoral-division-8-june-2017.pdf|archive-date=8 March 2018}}</ref>


Cornwall County Council organised an event in [[Brussels]] in 2008 to promote various aspects of Cornwall, including the Cornish language, food and drink and showcasing Cornwall's design industry. This was part of the Celtic Connections programme of events put together by the [[Celtic nations]] as a showcase for culture in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4873|date=2009-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101093404/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4873|archive-date=2010-11-01|title=Promoting Cornwall to the World}}</ref>
A by-election was held in the [[Falmouth, Cornwall|Falmouth Smithick]] division on 1 February 2018 following the death of Labour councillor and former [[Falmouth and Camborne]] MP [[Candy Atherton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/local-news/candy-atherton-former-labour-mp-704503|title='Sudden' death of former Labour MP|first=Max|last=Channon|date=31 October 2017|website=Plymouthherald.co.uk|access-date=1 November 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031112356/http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/local-news/candy-atherton-former-labour-mp-704503|archive-date=31 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/30365825/notice-of-election-falmouth-smithick-ed-1-february-2018.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-01-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105011617/https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/30365825/notice-of-election-falmouth-smithick-ed-1-february-2018.pdf |archive-date=5 January 2018}}</ref> The by-election was won by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour's]] Jayne Kirkham.<ref>{{cite web|title=DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL – Falmouth Smithick Electoral Division|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/31188822/declaration-of-result-of-poll-falmouth-smithick-electoral-division-1-february-2018.pdf|publisher=Cornwall Council|access-date=8 March 2018|date=1 February 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308103826/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/31188822/declaration-of-result-of-poll-falmouth-smithick-electoral-division-1-february-2018.pdf|archive-date=8 March 2018}}</ref>


Grenville and Stratton councillor, Paula Dolphin, resigned from the Liberal Democrats on 20 February 2018, continuing to sit as a standalone Independent.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tremayne|first1=Peter|title=Cornwall councillor Paula Dolphin quits Liberal Democrats|url=https://cornwallreports.co.uk/cornwall-councillor-paula-dolphin-quits-liberal-democrats/|publisher=Cornwall Reports|access-date=1 April 2018|date=20 February 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401213148/https://cornwallreports.co.uk/cornwall-councillor-paula-dolphin-quits-liberal-democrats/|archive-date=1 April 2018}}</ref>
Various fact finding missions have been organised by councillors to study how other regions and small nations of Europe govern themselves successfully. [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] councillor, [[Bert Biscoe]], organised a fact finding mission to [[Guernsey]] in 2011 to see if the island's system of government could be adapted to work in Cornwall.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-14629297|title=Guernsey government may be model for Cornwall|access-date=7 September 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825171244/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-14629297|archive-date=25 August 2011|work=BBC News|date=2011-08-23}}</ref>


Since 2010 Cornwall Council has been a full observer member of the [[British–Irish Council]] due to the [[Cornish language]] falling under the BIC's areas of work.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Read|first1=David|title=Cornish National Minority Advisory Report|date=2014|publisher=Cornwall Council|location=Truro|page=22}}</ref>
On 1 March 2018 the leader of the Labour group on the council and councillor for [[Penzance|Penzance East]], Tim Dwelly, resigned from the party, citing internal disputes within the party, particularly in association with [[Momentum (organisation)|Momentum]]. He continued to sit as an [[Independent politician|Independent]].<ref name="Labour Leader Dwelly Quits and joins Independents">{{cite web|url=https://cornishstuff.com/2018/03/01/labour-leader-dwelly-quits-and-joins-independents/|title=Labour Leader Dwelly Quits and joins Independents – 1 March 2018|publisher=CornishStuff|access-date=1 March 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301225159/https://cornishstuff.com/2018/03/01/labour-leader-dwelly-quits-and-joins-independents/|archive-date=1 March 2018|date=March 2018}}</ref>


==Economic projects==
In August 2020, councillors Dulcie Tudor, Bob Egerton and Andrew Wallis formed the Independent Alliance, a new independent grouping on the council. All three councillors had been a part of the Council's ruling coalition - Tudor resigned from the Liberal Democrats and Egerton and Wallis from the larger Independent group.<ref>{{cite web |title=New political group formed at Cornwall Council |url=https://cornishstuff.com/2020/08/05/new-political-group-formed-at-cornwall-council/ |website=Cornish Stuff |access-date=15 February 2021 |date=5 August 2020}}</ref>
Cornwall Council, in partnership with the [[Eden Project]], is bidding to have the world's first [[Green Investment Bank]] based in Cornwall. The council is also working with the NHS and Eden to tackle fuel poverty by creating a Cornwall Together co-op which will buy electricity at lower-than-market prices.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-17031187 | work=BBC News | title=Eden Project tackles fuel poverty with co-op plan | date=14 February 2012 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113175105/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-17031187 | archive-date=13 January 2016}}</ref> No further progress has been made on this since it was originally proposed.


Cornwall Council are servicing nearly 30 long term [[lender option borrower option]] loans (LOBOs) totalling £394 million. The council is locked into some of the deals until the year 2078, paying interest at more than double the current market rate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Taxpayers-hit-pound-400m-toxic-loans/story-26848171-detail/story.html |title=Taxpayers pay massive interest on council loans &#124; Cornish Guardian |access-date=2015-07-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711061516/http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Taxpayers-hit-pound-400m-toxic-loans/story-26848171-detail/story.html |archive-date=11 July 2015}}</ref>
In March 2021, the deputy leader of the Council Adam Paynter was suspended from the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] for 12 months over allegations he shared an email from former Liberal Democrat councillor Dulcie Tudor without permission.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Richard Whitehouse |title=Cornwall Council deputy leader kicked out of Liberal Democrats amid claims of 'bullying' |url=https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cornwall-council-deputy-leader-kicked-5112974 |website=Cornwall Live |access-date=26 March 2021 |date=10 March 2021}}</ref> Paynter remained both a councillor and the Council's deputy leader, sitting as an independent. The [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative group]] on the Council called on Julian German, the leader of the Council, to remove Paynter, calling his conduct "reprehensible" and threatening to table a [[motion of no confidence]] in him if he did not.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Richard Whitehouse |title=Calls for deputy leader to be removed from the Cabinet |url=http://www.bude-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=115873&headline=Calls%20for%20deputy%20leader%20to%20be%20removed%20from%20the%20Cabinet&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2021 |website=Bude & Stratton Post |access-date=26 March 2021 |date=26 March 2021}}</ref> Paynter appealed his suspension and will stand as an independent in the [[2021 Cornwall Council election]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=Richard Whitehouse |title=Cornwall councillor suspended by party speaks out |url=https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/19191615.cornwall-councillor-suspended-party-speaks/ |website=[[Falmouth Packet]] |access-date=27 March 2021 |date=26 March 2021}}</ref>


==Notable members==
In April 2021, the Conservative leader Linda Taylor put forward a motion to remove Julian German as council leader after he refused to fire Paynter as deputy leader. As per the council's constitution, the motion was signed by 41 of the 123 council members.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Richard Whitehouse |title=Extraordinary Cornwall Council meeting for bid to remove leader |url=https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/extraordinary-cornwall-council-meeting-bid-5255842 |website=Cornwall Live |access-date=6 April 2021 |date=6 April 2021}}</ref>
*[[Dick Cole (politician)|Dick Cole]], leader of [[Mebyon Kernow]] and member for [[St Dennis and St Enoder (electoral division)|St Dennis and St Enoder]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dale|first1=Helen|title=Dick Cole re-elected leader of Mebyon Kernow|url=http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/14819602.Dick_Cole_re_elected_leader_of_Mebyon_Kernow/|access-date=30 November 2017|publisher=Falmouth Packet (online edition)}}</ref>
===2021 Cornwall Council elections===
*[[Loveday Jenkin]], deputy leader of Mebyon Kernow and member for [[Crowan, Sithney and Wendron (electoral division)|Crowan, Sithney and Wendron]]
{{Main|2021 Cornwall Council election}}{{Expand section|date=May 2021}}

==Council history==
===Party control===
The following table shows party control of the Cornwall Council:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! colspan=2| Control
|-
| [[2009 Cornwall Council election|2009]]
{{Party name with colour|No overall control}}
|-
| [[2013 Cornwall Council election|2013]]
{{Party name with colour|No overall control}}
|-
| [[2017 Cornwall Council election|2017]]
{{Party name with colour|No overall control}}
|-
| [[2021 Cornwall Council election|2021]]
{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|}

===Notable members===
*[[Dick Cole (politician)|Dick Cole]], leader of [[Mebyon Kernow]] and member for [[St Enoder (electoral division)|St Enoder]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dale|first1=Helen|title=Dick Cole re-elected leader of Mebyon Kernow|url=http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/14819602.Dick_Cole_re_elected_leader_of_Mebyon_Kernow/|access-date=30 November 2017|publisher=Falmouth Packet (online edition)}}</ref>
*[[Loveday Jenkin]], deputy leader of Mebyon Kernow and member for [[Crowan and Wendron (electoral division)|Crowan and Wendron]]


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Cornwall}}
{{Portal|Cornwall}}
* [[Council of the Isles of Scilly]]
* [[Council of the Isles of Scilly]]
* [[Cornish Nationalism]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/ }}
* {{Official website|http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/}}


{{Unitary authorities of England}}
{{Unitary authorities of England}}
{{County councils of England}}
{{Local government districts of England abolished in 2009}}
{{Local government districts of England abolished in 2009}}
{{Cornwall}}
{{Cornwall}}
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[[Category:Organisations based in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Local government in Cornwall|County council]]
[[Category:Unitary authority councils of England]]
[[Category:Unitary authority councils of England]]
[[Category:Leader and cabinet executives]]
[[Category:Leader and cabinet executives]]
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[[Category:Local authorities in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Local authorities in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Billing authorities in England]]
[[Category:Billing authorities in England]]
[[Category:Cornwall]]

Latest revision as of 07:09, 25 March 2024

Cornwall Council

Konsel Kernow
Whole council elected every four years
Coat of arms
Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1889
Leadership
Pauline Giles,
Conservative
since 25 May 2021[1]
Linda Taylor,
Conservative
since 25 May 2021
Kate Kennally
since 11 January 2016[2]
Structure
Seats87 (44 needed for a majority)
Political groups
Administration (45)
  Conservative (45)
Other parties (42)
  Independent (18)
  Liberal Democrat (13)
  Labour (5)
  Mebyon Kernow (5)
  Green Party (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
6 May 2021
Next election
1 May 2025
Meeting place
Lys Kernow, Treyew Road, Truro, TR1 3AY
Website
www.cornwall.gov.uk

Cornwall Council (Cornish: Konsel Kernow), known between 1889 and 2009 as Cornwall County Council (Cornish: Konteth Konsel Kernow), is the local authority which governs the non-metropolitan county of Cornwall in South West England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, having taken over district-level functions when the county's districts were abolished. The non-metropolitan county of Cornwall is slightly smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes the Isles of Scilly. The council has had a Conservative Party majority since the 2021 local elections. Its headquarters is Lys Kernow (also known as New County Hall) in Truro.

History[edit]

Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions previously carried out by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions. The first elections to the county council were held in January 1889 and it formally came into being on 1 April 1889, on which day it held its first formal meeting at the Municipal Buildings in Truro. The first chairman of the council was William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, a Conservative peer.[3][4]

Until 1974 the lower tier of local government comprised numerous boroughs, urban districts and rural districts. In 1974 the lower tier of local government was reorganised and Cornwall was left with six districts: Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith, and Restormel.[5]

On 1 April 2009, the six districts were abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England and their functions taken over by the county council, which was renamed 'Cornwall Council'.[6][7]

Devolution[edit]

The campaign for Cornish devolution began in 2000 with the founding of the Cornish Constitutional Convention, a cross-party, cross-sector association that campaigns for devolution to Cornwall.[8] In 2009 the Liberal Democrat MP Dan Rogerson introduced a bill in parliament seeking to take power from Whitehall and regional quangos and pass it to Cornwall Council, with the intention of making the council an assembly similar to the National Assembly for Wales.[9] In November 2010 the Prime Minister, David Cameron, suggested in comments to the local press that his government would "devolve a lot of power to Cornwall – that will go to the Cornish unitary authority."[10] In 2011, the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he would meet a cross party group, including the six Cornish MPs, to look at whether more powers could be devolved to Cornwall.[11]

Some powers were eventually devolved from the government to Cornwall Council in 2015, relating to matters including bus franchising, education and apprenticeships, renewable energy and energy efficiency and integration of health and social care services.[12][13] Further devolved powers were agreed in November 2023, including in relation to adult education and Cornish distinctiveness and promotion of the Cornish language.[14]

Governance[edit]

Since 2009, Cornwall Council has provided both county-level and district-level services. The whole county is also divided into civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government.[15]

Political control[edit]

The council has been under Conservative majority control since the 2021 election.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[16][17]

Non-metropolitan county

Party in control Years
Independent 1974–1985
No overall control 1985–1993
Liberal Democrats 1993–1997
No overall control 1997–2005
Liberal Democrats 2005–2009

Unitary authority

Party in control Years
No overall control 2009–2021
Conservative 2021–present

Leadership[edit]

The leaders of the council since 2005 have been:[18]

Councillor Party From To
David Whalley[19] Liberal Democrats May 2005 4 Jun 2009
Alec Robertson Conservative 23 Jun 2009 16 Oct 2012
Jim Currie Conservative 16 Oct 2012 5 May 2013
John Pollard Independent 21 May 2013 23 May 2017
Adam Paynter Liberal Democrats 23 May 2017 21 May 2019
Julian German Independent 21 May 2019 25 May 2021
Linda Taylor Conservative 25 May 2021

Composition[edit]

Following the 2021 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to February 2024, the composition of the council was:

Party Councillors
Conservative 45
Independent 18
Liberal Democrats 13
Labour 5
Mebyon Kernow 5
Green 1
Total: 87

Mebyon Kernow and the Green councillor sit together as a group. Of the independent councillors, 15 form the "Independent Group", the other three do not belong to a group.[20] The next election is due in 2025.

Elections[edit]

See also: Cornwall Council elections
Cornwall Council Electoral Divisions map as of May 2021

Since the last boundary changes in 2021 the county has been divided into 87 electoral divisions, each electing one councillor. Elections are held every four years.[21][22]

Premises[edit]

The council has its headquarters at Lys Kernow, also known as New County Hall, on Treyew Road in Truro. It was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1966.[23]

Old County Hall, Truro: Council's headquarters 1912–1966

The quarter sessions which preceded the county council had generally met at the Shire Hall in Bodmin. From its first meeting in 1889 the county council chose instead to meet in Truro, where it initially met at the Municipal Buildings (later called City Hall, now the Hall for Cornwall). In 1912 the council moved to a new building at County Hall on Station Road in Truro, which served as the council's headquarters until 1966.[24][25][26]

Cultural services[edit]

Among the services provided by the council is a public library service which consists of a main library in Truro and smaller libraries in towns and some villages throughout Cornwall. There are also the following special libraries: Cornwall Learning Library, Cornish Studies Library, the Education Library Service, and the Performing Arts Library, as well as a mobile library service based at Threemilestone.[27]

Cultural projects[edit]

Cornwall Council is promoting ten cultural projects as part of a five-year culture strategy. One project is the development of a National Theatre of Cornwall, a collaboration of the Hall for Cornwall, Kneehigh Theatre, Eden Project and Wildworks. Cornwall Council has based its idea on the successful National Theatres of Scotland and Wales.[28]

Another of the projects is the proposed creation of a National Library of Cornwall to resolve inadequacies with the current storage of archives.[29] It is hoped that this will bring some important documents concerning Cornish history back to Cornwall as well as providing better public access to those records already held. Cornwall Council is also involved in the project to build a Stadium for Cornwall.

Cornish ethnic and national identity[edit]

Cornwall Council backs the campaign for the Cornish to be recognised as a National Minority in the UK. The council's then chief executive Kevin Lavery wrote a letter to the Government in 2010, writing, "Cornwall Council firmly believes that the UK Government should recognise the Cornish as a national minority under the terms of the Framework Convention." Adding that, "Cornwall Council believes that the Government's current restricted interpretation is discriminatory against the Cornish and contradicts the support it gives to Cornish culture and identity through its own departments."[30] Cornwall Council's support was officially reaffirmed as council policy in 2011 with the publication of the Cornish National Minority Report 2, signed and endorsed by the then leaders of every political grouping on the council.[31] The council took an active role in the promotion of the options for registering Cornish ethnicity and national identity on the 2011 UK Census.[32] The Cornish people were finally recognised as a National Minority by the British Government on 24 April 2014 and incorporated into the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities giving the Cornish the same status as the United Kingdom's other Celtic peoples, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.[33]

International relations[edit]

Since 2008 Cornwall Council and the former county council, together with Cornwall Enterprise, and Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership, have been involved with a Protocol of Cooperation between Cornwall and the Conseil général du Finistère in Brittany. The protocol aims to allow the two regions to work more closely on topics of common interest and engage in a knowledge exchange with the possibility of jointly applying for European funding.[34] Cornwall is also a member of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions, a partnership of European regions, which aims to promote and highlight the value of these regions to Europe. Cornwall comes under the Atlantic Arc Commission sub-division of 30 regions, which has been used to advertise the potential of renewable energy off the Cornish coast to Europe.[35][36]

A scheme arising from these partnerships is MERiFIC (Marine Energy in Far Peripheral and Island Communities) which seeks to advance the adoption of marine energy across the two regions, including the Isles of Scilly.[37] The project has received £4 million of European funding that will be spent in Cornwall and Brittany.[38]

Cornwall County Council organised an event in Brussels in 2008 to promote various aspects of Cornwall, including the Cornish language, food and drink and showcasing Cornwall's design industry. This was part of the Celtic Connections programme of events put together by the Celtic nations as a showcase for culture in Europe.[39]

Various fact finding missions have been organised by councillors to study how other regions and small nations of Europe govern themselves successfully. Independent councillor, Bert Biscoe, organised a fact finding mission to Guernsey in 2011 to see if the island's system of government could be adapted to work in Cornwall.[40]

Since 2010 Cornwall Council has been a full observer member of the British–Irish Council due to the Cornish language falling under the BIC's areas of work.[41]

Economic projects[edit]

Cornwall Council, in partnership with the Eden Project, is bidding to have the world's first Green Investment Bank based in Cornwall. The council is also working with the NHS and Eden to tackle fuel poverty by creating a Cornwall Together co-op which will buy electricity at lower-than-market prices.[42] No further progress has been made on this since it was originally proposed.

Cornwall Council are servicing nearly 30 long term lender option borrower option loans (LOBOs) totalling £394 million. The council is locked into some of the deals until the year 2078, paying interest at more than double the current market rate.[43]

Notable members[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Council minutes, 25 May 2021". Cornwall Council. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  2. ^ Johnstone, Peter (19 January 2016). "New Cornwall Council chief executive is in for the long haul". Falmouth Packet. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
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  18. ^ "Council minutes". Cornwall Council. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Leader quits after critics' abuse". BBC News. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Councillors by party". Cornwall Council. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  21. ^ "The Cornwall (Electoral Changes) Order 2019", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2019/1088, retrieved 19 February 2024
  22. ^ "The Cornwall (Electoral Changes) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2021/106, retrieved 19 February 2024
  23. ^ Historic England. "New County Hall including terrace pool surrounds and bridge to courtyard (Grade II) (1323700)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  24. ^ Historic England. "Old County Hall (Grade II) (1282633)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Cornwall County Council: Opening of the New County Hall". Royal Cornwall Gazette. Truro. 15 August 1912. p. 8. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  26. ^ "County Hall open day". 28 November 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  27. ^ "Your Local Library". Cornwall Council. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  28. ^ "National Theatre hope highlighted by report". West Briton. 2 February 2012. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  29. ^ Cornwall Council – Historic Cornwall Advisory Group – Bagas Kusulya Kernow Istorek – 29 June 2011
  30. ^ "Cornish minority bid gets a big boost". West Briton. 22 April 2010. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  31. ^ Ian Saltern (16 November 2011). "The Cornish National Minority Report 2 (Excerpts)". Europäisches Journal für Minderheitenfragen. 4 (3): 187–205. doi:10.1007/s12241-011-0019-x. S2CID 146337220.
  32. ^ "2011 Census: Cornish identity". Cornwall County Council. 5 August 2011. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  33. ^ Danny Alexander; Stephen Williams (24 April 2014). "Cornish granted minority status within the UK" (Press release). HM Treasury and Department for Communities and Local Government. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  34. ^ "Protocol of Co-operation – Cornwall and Finistère". Cornwall.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  35. ^ "European Partnerships". Cornwall.gov.uk. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  36. ^ "Cornwall Council – Cornwall Councillor calls on European leaders". Cornwall.gov.uk. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  37. ^ "European Projects". Cornwall.gov.uk. 20 January 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  38. ^ "Cornwall Council – £4m for renewable energy project in the South". Cornwall.gov.uk. 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  39. ^ "Promoting Cornwall to the World". 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010.
  40. ^ "Guernsey government may be model for Cornwall". BBC News. 23 August 2011. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  41. ^ Read, David (2014). Cornish National Minority Advisory Report. Truro: Cornwall Council. p. 22.
  42. ^ "Eden Project tackles fuel poverty with co-op plan". BBC News. 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016.
  43. ^ "Taxpayers pay massive interest on council loans | Cornish Guardian". Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  44. ^ Dale, Helen. "Dick Cole re-elected leader of Mebyon Kernow". Falmouth Packet (online edition). Retrieved 30 November 2017.

External links[edit]

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