Falmouth Town Council is to ask for the devolution of the Pendennis Headland, but it will not reopen the leisure centre.

Instead it will explore the option to lease the Ships and Castles site to community interest company Pendennis Leisure and give the community interest company the opportunity to find funding to re-open the pool and provide other leisure facilities.

The recommendation was made after a closed discussion during a meeting of Falmouth Town Council's finance and general purposes committee last night.

The town council says it will seek an asset devolution of the whole of Pendennis Headland, including the whole of the Ships and Castles site in order to protect it for the community.

Falmouth Town Council is being recommended to ask for a "dowry" from Cornwall Council to take over the running of the site.

Posting on her Facebook page committee chair Jude Robinson said they were anxious about the responsibility but hopeful that the council can protect all of our "wonderful" headland.

"Very pleased that people in Falmouth are with us," she said. "Thankful to all councillors supporting this.

"We need to be clear with people that this is the beginning of something, not the end. We will ask for devolution and we will ask Cornwall Council for a financial ‘dowry’. Those decisions will be up to them.

"It will take a lot on both sides to make this work. The town council cannot run Ships and Castles’ pool but we can try and facilitate Pendennis Leisure running it, if it is possible for them to get the funding. And if Cornwall Council agrees."

She says if it is devolved to the council and they can't make it work tough decisions will have to be made so they don’t "pile" financial liabilities on the council and the people of Falmouth.

"But those decisions will be made in partnership and listening to our residents," she said.

"We will do whatever we can - without putting a financial burden on the people of Falmouth - to protect the headland. And to provide a public swimming pool for our town.

The full recommendations are that:

  • Falmouth Town Council accepts the findings of a report by consultants Carlton Brand and its future actions will be informed by the report.
  • Pendennis Leisure CIC is a real community asset. Falmouth Town Council will work in partnership with Pendennis Leisure to support the community group, address the issues outlined in the report and enable it to be a strong partner in future leisure provision for this area.
  • FTC will not re-open SCL or commission its reopening as the financial risk is unacceptable.
  • FTC will work to build a partnership including but not limited to Cornwall Council and Pendennis Leisure to develop specific, affordable and deliverable plans for a new centre designed against the needs of the local Falmouth, Penryn, surrounding areas and tourist populations for the next 25 years and as directed by our Falmouth Neighbourhood Plan and we request that Cornwall Council recognise this need in its Leisure Strategy.
  • FTC will seek an asset devolution of the whole of Pendennis Headland, including the whole of the Ships and Castles site in order to protect it for the community.
  • FTC will work with voluntary and commercial partners to consider a mixture of public and commercial uses for the site and we will explore the option to lease the SCL site to PL as outlined in the report and give them the opportunity to find funding to re-open the pool and provide other leisure facilities.
  • FTC will set up a Working Party consisting of the chairs of its committees to take this work forward in conjunction with the town clerk and Pendennis Leisure CIC and other officers and agencies as needed.

A full meeting of Cornwall Council's cabinet will take place tomorrow at 10am at New County Hall Truro to decide the site's future.