Cornwall Council’s Cabinet has been asked if it is “playing politics with Cornwall’s family silver” after it agreed to get rid of 2,000 of its assets, which includes beaches, parks, playing fields, green spaces, chapels and car parks. The move could save the cash-strapped local authority £2m over the next year, writes Lee Trewhela Local Democracy Reporter.

Cabinet members were asked to consider a late, urgent addition to their agenda at their meeting on Wednesday (March 20) to hand over – or sell – the large number of environment, heritage and other land-based assets to other parties the council deems more suitable to manage them.

Those the council is in discussion with include town and parish councils, the National Trust, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall Heritage Trust.

The Conservative Cabinet agreed to allow the council’s strategic director for sustainable growth and development to transfer assets to the most appropriate recipient. A report to members stated it “does not mean that we will always be the best placed to control and manage these assets and, in many cases, there are more effective stewards”.

The initial sites identified for potential devolution include those where there are anti-social behavioural issues due to a rural location, are deteriorating due to lack of investment and others that experience seasonal overnight camping and other anti-social issues. Councillors were asked to make the urgent decision in order for work to start devolving the assets this summer to make savings / additional income of £2m in 2024/25.

Labour councillor Jayne Kirkham wasn’t happy with the move: “Am I the only person that’s worried that we’re making an urgent decision to try and get money from basically getting rid of, or possibly selling, 2,000 of our most precious assets including our beaches? It really worries me.

"If we’re trying to make the money this year or next year how on earth can we do the correct due diligence to make sure that potentially hundreds of these things go to the right homes?

“We’re delegating authority to do this to just one officer, with some engagement, but just one officer can make all these decisions about all these precious places. It seems like a desperate attempt to claw in money and a huge risk to some of our most precious places in Cornwall.”

The council’s deputy leader and its head of resources Cllr David Harris responded: “There is no intention to just 'willy-nilly' get rid of 2,000 key assets. It would take our legal team 4,000 years to even do that.

"I think we’ve built in the correct checks and balances, including due diligence on the proposed recipient. We will comply with the policies and procedures within the council’s codes of practice for land and property transactions. They’re not something you can run rings around.”

Cllr Martyn Alvey, the council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said he wanted to reassure Cllr Kirkham it wasn’t a money-making exercise primarily. “It’s about managing assets better and more appropriately. You mention beaches. There would be no intention to sell one of our beaches to a private entity. If that was the case I’d be resisting it.

“At the moment on a beach you may have four separate teams and four separate Cabinet portfolio holders responsible for aspects of that beach, all pulling in different directions. It may be far more appropriate for one of our arms-length companies like Corserv to take over that beach asset and run it as a single entity.”

Cllr Kirkham added: “I understand what you’re saying Cllr Alvey but the whole push for this is to save or raise money.”

Independent councillor Tim Dwelly said he shared Cllr Kirkham’s concerns. “Basically the message seems to be ‘trust us’. Whatever your motives, we haven’t got the staff to do this at any pace, so I think eyebrows are raised about the urgency here. Very highly raised at the risks involved. The real question is why the urgency and are you playing politics with Cornwall’s family silver?”

The council’s chief executive Kate Kennally said it was an urgent item “because there is a financial imperative that faces this authority that was known by all members when you approved the budget. We’re using some one-off reserves in order to fund the delivery of public services and we need to right that position through bringing forward recurrent savings opportunities”.

The Cabinet heard that there had been recent devolution of council assets that had worked for local communities including Little Fistral car park in Newquay, Pendennis Headland in Falmouth and a package of St Ives properties.

Cllr Andy Virr said the decentralisation of waterside assets in Fowey had led to the reopening of a swimming pool. “So I don’t think this is about money saving, it’s about doing the right thing and letting these assets flourish under local ownership,” he added.