The Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 05 March 2026 to discuss the draft Cornwall Cultural Strategy 2026-2035 and the outcomes of a consultation regarding Hackney Carriage Taxi Zones. The committee also received updates from Cabinet Members on their respective portfolios.

Draft Cornwall Cultural Strategy 2026-2035

The committee was scheduled to consider the draft Cornwall Cultural Strategy 2026-2035. This strategy outlines the vision and ambitions for culture and the creative sector in Cornwall for the next decade, aiming to position the region as a leading cultural cluster in the UK. The strategy is built around five key ambitions: Joining In, Supporting People, Growing Our Economy, Improving Our Places, and Celebrating Cornwall. It details how culture contributes to Cornwall Council's six priority outcomes, including fostering safe and vibrant communities, promoting a clean and green Cornwall, building a resilient economy, supporting families and children, enabling healthy and dignified lives, and ensuring connected and reliable transport. The strategy replaces the previous Creative Manifesto 2021-2025 and aims to secure further investment and maximise the role of the creative sector in the economy and community. The report highlights the economic value of Cornwall's cultural and creative sectors, their contribution to the local economy, and the skills and talent infrastructure in place, such as Falmouth University. It also addresses challenges such as access to funding, infrastructure pressures, and skills gaps, and outlines the proposed delivery framework and the role of Cornwall Council as an enabler and facilitator. The strategy was developed through extensive engagement with Cornwall's creative sector and will be subject to public consultation.

Hackney Carriage Taxi Zone Consultation

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the consultation on Hackney Carriage Taxi Zones. The committee was to consider the report on the consultation, which explored the potential amalgamation of Cornwall's six existing taxi zones into a single licensing area. The report detailed the differences between Hackney Carriage (taxi) and private hire vehicle licensing, noting that while private hire vehicles are already licensed across the whole of Cornwall, Hackney Carriages remain zoned based on former district council boundaries. The Department for Transport's guidance recommends the abolition of taxi zones to simplify the system for passengers, improve taxi availability, and create a fairer and more efficient service. The consultation received 413 responses, with 72.6% disagreeing with the proposal to remove the zones. The report included detailed comments from respondents, highlighting concerns about the impact on rural services, potential monopolies by larger companies, increased fares, loss of local knowledge, and safety implications for passengers, particularly women and vulnerable individuals. The committee was asked to recommend to Cabinet whether to retain the existing taxi zones or amalgamate them into one licensing area.

Updates from Cabinet Members

The committee was also scheduled to receive updates from Cabinet Members on their respective portfolios. This included:

• Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health: Updates were expected on matters relevant to the committee's work programme, feedback on previous recommendations to Cabinet, and any potential items for future consideration. Specific issues mentioned included the rollout of No Cold Caller Zones, concerns regarding sewage in Stithians, and updates on the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Community Risk Management Plan 2026-2030 and the Safer Cornwall Partnership Plan 2025-28 refresh.
• Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change: This update was anticipated to cover progress on the Council's waste strategy, potential items for the committee's work programme, and areas of focus, including improvements to the public realm. It also mentioned lobbying MPs regarding Church of England graveyard transfers and work related to the Keep Cornwall Clean initiative.
• Cabinet Member for Tourism, Localism and Planning: Updates were expected on the Local Plan, the Pentewan Valley Neighbourhood Development Plan, and the Culture Strategy for Cornwall 2030. The Cabinet Member also provided information on the Visitor Economy Sector Summit held at the Eden Project and various engagements related to neighbourhood teams, tourism, and creative industries.

The meeting also included time for public questions and the confirmation of minutes from the previous meeting.