The Cornwall Growth Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 11th December 2025, to discuss, among other things, how Cornwall can contribute to the UK's defence sector, and the progress of the new local plan. The meeting will also cover the minutes of the meeting held on 9 October 2025.

Cornwall Good Growth Plan and the Defence Sector

The Cornwall Growth Board is scheduled to discuss and potentially approve the 2024-35 Defence Sector Addendum to the Cornwall Good Growth Plan. The addendum reflects the increased focus on defence in the UK Industrial Strategy.

The report pack states that the Economic Forum had requested the bespoke piece of work to show how Cornwall's sectors contribute to the UK becoming a defence superpower.

According to the report pack, while defence is not identified as a standalone sector in the Good Growth Plan, it is deeply embedded within many of Cornwall's distinctive strengths be it; Space, Marine, Critical Minerals, or Renewable Energy. The report pack says that these sectors not only support national security objectives but also offer pathways for high-value economic growth, innovation, and skilled employment. It also notes the strategic need for food security as part of wider defensive resilience creating links to agri-food, a core economic sector.

The report pack highlights the following points:

• Space - Cornwall offers space and aerospace assets such as Goonhilly Earth Station, Spaceport Cornwall and the National Drone Hub.
• Marine - Cornwall offers coastal and offshore environments ideal for testing naval and autonomous systems.
• Critical Minerals - The granite intrusion that underlies Cornwall contains Europe's largest lithium resource, some of the world's richest tin deposits, and one of the world's largest undeveloped tungsten deposits.
• Renewable Energy - Cornwall has the Renewable Energy assets to help power the UK be it through solar, wind, geothermal or floating offshore wind.
• Agri-Food - Cornwall's agri-food and fishing sector plays a key role in feeding the nation by providing the UK with a secure supply of high quality food and drink products.

The report pack notes that the Economic Forum discussed the proposed defence addendum to the Good Growth Plan at its meeting on 23 October 2025, and highlighted the need to include the GCHQ location in Bude along with the subsea cable network as important defence infrastructure located in Cornwall. It also mentions that creative sector representatives requested mention of creative sector dual use technologies like simulation, virtual reality, and AI-driven design which are increasingly used in defence for training, strategic planning, and operational decision-making, and that strengthening of references to Advanced Manufacturing as a key underpinning of the defence contribution from the Good Growth Sectors was also suggested.

The report pack states that the addition of a defence focused addendum to the Cornwall Good Growth Plan will put Cornwall in a stronger position in terms of being able to attract defence and adjacent investment needed to deliver the ambitions for the local economy.

Local Plan Progress

The Cornwall Growth Board is scheduled to receive an interim report on the Local Plan progress, including the first baseline report, emerging issues, and next steps.

Councillor Preece stressed the importance of strong governance, funding, and inclusive engagement to deliver a practical and collaborative Local Plan.

The report pack notes that Councillor Cole welcomed the proposal to establish an informal cross-party working group to advise on the Local Plan and asked when its size and composition would be agreed, suggesting a panel of 13 members to ensure political and geographic balance, with representatives from each network area to strengthen local engagement.

The report pack also notes that Councillor Cole raised concerns about the accuracy and presentation of the evidence base, noting inconsistencies in terminology (e.g., national vs. UK figures), a typo under ethnic diversity regarding Gypsy, Roma and Traveller populations, and the lack of reference to Cornish identity despite census data.

The report pack states that Councillor La Broy reflected on the housing target issue, noting that he was preparing a letter to the Minister to request a review of the 4,421 annual housing figure and present a balanced case for a more achievable target, highlighting concerns about whether Cornwall's economy could absorb such numbers, the financial viability of developments, and emerging infrastructure challenges.

The report pack notes that Councillor Frank highlighted the opportunity for the Local Plan to embed child-friendly principles from the outset, asking how the impact on children's lives, such as access to schools and safe routes, would be assessed.